Domestic Travels
by Sparks
Summary: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared as time and space are woven into knots. Something is wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting Rose and his unborn child, and
1. Chapter 1

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Previously, in 'Domestic Space':

_Romana looked at the Doctor. "Would you like to eat here, or in the dining room?" she asked. "People will have to know about you at some point." The Doctor shrugged. "The dining room, then." She rose. "Tim, Izzy, please follow me." She headed towards the outer door, but before she got there it slid open and a slender woman stepped through. She was about Jack's age, with short, dark hair and wide eyes. _

"_Romana, have you seen –" she began, but was cut off by the Doctor.  
__  
"Susan?"

* * *

Chapter One_

* * *

The Doctor stared in pure disbelief. It couldn't be. It wasn't possible. She hadn't been on Gallifrey when it had been destroyed, she'd been on Earth, but she should have been wiped from time with the planet.

"Susan?" he repeated in shock.

The woman – Susan – looked at him, a faint frown drawing her eyebrows together. For a long moment it seemed as though she wouldn't recognise him, then her mouth fell open.

"Grandfather?" she whispered. He gave a single nod, a jerk of his head. She took a step towards him, then faltered. "Grandfather?" she repeated.

"Susan," he whispered. "Oh, Susan."

And then suddenly she was hugging him tight, and he was clutching on to her as if he'd never held her before. And they were crying and laughing and half-formed words tumbled from their mouths.

Rose looked on, hugging her stomach, a feeling of mistrust growing within her. This was the Doctor's granddaughter, then. Her granddaughter.

Something was wrong. She moved to lean against the TARDIS; Izzy joined her, resting a hand on her shoulder. The sounds of the reunion faded; all she could hear was the hum of the TARDIS and a faint, faint whisper that was the living ship…

It seemed to be only a moment later that she opened her eyes to see the Doctor's concerned face in front of her.

"Rose? Rose, are you alright? What is it?"

"Don't pregnant women get dizzy?" Tim asked from further back.

Rose realised she was kneeling on the floor, still leaning against the TARDIS. She tried to stand up; the Doctor rested his hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"No, you might fall again," he said. "Stay still for a bit, yeah?" He felt her forehead with the back of his hand. "You're hot," he muttered.

"I feel strange," she said in a low voice. "There's something wrong." She shook him off and stood up, looking around. Susan sat on the desk, legs swinging slightly. Romana sat nearby. Izzy and Tim were hovering close. Jack was next to her. She looked at him for a moment. Was it him? No.

"I don't know what's going on," she said, her voice sounding distant. "It's Bad Wolf. There's something going on."

"Into the TARDIS," the Doctor directed after a moment. "Whatever it is, we should be able to contain it there."

But Rose pushed past him, and went to stand in front of Susan. She offered a smile.

"Hi," she said. "I'm Rose."

Susan smiled faintly. "I know. I remember you – from when I was small, before I met Grandfather. I'm sure we're breaking all sorts of laws of Time, meeting like this."

"Probably," Rose said. She pressed a hand to her stomach. "I suppose…I suppose this is your mum or dad, in here." Susan nodded mutely. The Doctor came to hover next to them, cautious. "Sorry, I'm a bit weird today," Rose said after a moment.

"You're always a bit weird," Izzy called out. "Rose, if you're done fainting, some of us are hungry." Tim elbowed her in the stomach. "Ow." Tim rolled his eyes at her and walked over to Rose.

"Rose, you should get checked out," he told her. "You just fell – it's not normal, I'm sure it's not." He poked her gently, then turned to smile at Susan. "We didn't get introduced. I'm Tim, Rose's cousin."

"Susan Foreman," said the Doctor's granddaughter. "I suppose we're related, then." She took Tim's offered hand to shake it. Rose began to shake uncontrollably; the Doctor grabbed onto her.

"No," she whispered.

There was a loud sound, almost a tearing noise, and a flash of light. When it dissipated, Tim lay slumped on the floor, not moving.

Rose staggered away, gasping for breath. Susan went after her, grasping her arm and keeping her upright. The Doctor knelt and felt for a pulse at Tim's neck. Jack held Izzy back.

"Doctor?" Romana asked, dreading the answer that she already knew.

"He's dead," the Doctor said flatly. He rose and closed his eyes for a moment before turning and crossing the room to Rose. "Rose, love…"

Rose shook her head, blinking tears away. She held Susan's hand tightly. "It was me," she whispered. "Bad Wolf. I killed him."

* * *

Izzy had disappeared into the depths of the TARDIS. Romana and the Doctor were performing a forensic examination on Tim's body, in a room adjacent to the infirmary. Jack and Susan sat on either side of Rose on the sofa in the kitchen.

"It's my fault," Rose said dazedly, not for the first time.

"Rose, no," Jack said instantly. "You are not to blame. You're not. Please believe me."

"You didn't do anything, grandma," Susan murmured.

"I killed Tim." Rose closed her eyes briefly; her salty tears stung under her eyelids, and she rubbed almost angrily with the hem of her t-shirt. "God, what am I going to tell Mum?"

"Don't think about that," Jack urged. "It's not important right now." He touched her hand gently, careful not to spook her. She didn't react. "Rose, sweetheart…"

"Tim's dead," Rose murmured. "And I'm alive. And I brought Gallifrey back and I killed Tim, because I know it was some sort of paradox when he and Susan touched, but I don't know why. I'm so confused."

"Grandfather will be able to –"

Rose shook her head with a bitter smile. "The Doctor can do a lot of things, but he's not all-knowing," she told her granddaughter.

Jack cupped her cheek and turned her head so she was looking at him. "You've changed," he told her. A tear ran down her cheek, and he wiped it away with his thumb. "Oh, Rose." He pulled her to him and hugged her.

"Rose."

The three looked up to see the Doctor standing in the doorway. He held a hand out to her, and she almost ran into his arms.

"You alright?" he asked her in a low voice, tilting her head up so she had to meet his eyes. She shook her head. "No. You ready to hear this?"

"I have to be," Rose said, and took a deep breath.

"It was a kind of temporal paradox," he told her. "Romana thinks it's to do with Susan being from another time, and Tim being from outside the rift, and the meeting of the two in a place and time that shouldn't exist. There was some sort of external force, as well."

"Bad Wolf?" Rose asked, dreading the answer.

"Possibly," the Doctor allowed. "But we can't say for certain." He held her face in his hands. "Don't you blame yourself, Rose Tyler. Don't you dare."

"Says you," Rose whispered, with the ghost of a smile. He gave a huff of acknowledgement, then ducked his head and kissed her.

Susan looked away, not quite sure how to react to her grandfather in this regeneration. She'd seen him young before, of course – they'd met during his fifth regeneration. But she remembered her grandmother as an old woman, and this was a little strange.

Jack caught her eyes and grinned, jerking his head at the couple and rolling his eyes. She gave him a small smile.

"Stop flirting with my granddaughter," the Doctor directed, having pulled away from Rose. "It's just…wrong."

"I wasn't flirting!" Jack denied. "So what're we doing now?"

"We need to take Tim back home," Rose said quietly, turning around within the Doctor's arms. "To Auntie Julie." She frowned suddenly. "Has anyone seen Izzy?"

"Romana went to find her," the Doctor told her. "Rose…"

"No." Rose pulled away from him. "No, Doctor. I don't want to hear it. I don't care. I have to take Tim back to his mum, and to Grandpa Mark, and to everyone else. I don't care what damage it might cause with the rift. I have to take him back."

Jack stood up, shaking his head and looking regretful. "Rose, the Doctor's right. If you leave now – if they're right, if you're the cause of this – it could be catastrophic."

"I don't care!" Rose lashed out. "Gallifrey shouldn't exist anyway! What does it matter if I leave and it all goes back to normal?"

There was a sudden, dreadful silence in the room. Jack stared at her, shocked. Susan's mouth dropped open.

Rose slowly turned to face the Doctor. He refused to look at her, his face dark.

"I didn't mean it," she whispered. He didn't look at her, didn't speak. "Doctor – Theta, please, I'm sorry – " She broke off as he turned abruptly and left the room.

Jack took a step towards her. She flung a hand up in the semi-universal gesture of 'halt', and fled.

* * *

"I remember, when I was very little, you used to tell me stories."

Susan had found Rose in the Cloisters, and for a while the two had sat in silence. Susan had broken it with her reminiscence.

"Yeah?" Rose said idly.

"About Earth, mostly," Susan nodded. She glanced sideways at Rose. "I never told Grandfather that I remembered you. Because of course I was born in a different time to him. I don't remember how I came to be with him, in the past. I don't really remember my parents, either. But you – I always remembered you telling me stories."

"I haven't told them yet."

"I know. I probably shouldn't talk about it," Susan said, with a slight shrug.

"I…I won't tell if you don't," Rose offered, glancing up. She gave a half-smile. "God, this is weird. You look older than me, but I'm your…grandmother. How weird is that?"

"Yes, it is quite," Susan agreed. "That's the trouble with time travel."

"I never thought it would be so complicated," Rose confided. "When I first met the Doctor, in London, I thought it was some students having a laugh. And then when he asked me to go with him, I said no. But he came back." Her smile dropped. "He's always done that. Given me second chances. I've gone too far now, though."

"He is very different with you," Susan said after a moment. "He is far more affectionate than I have ever known him to be."

"He's been like that since the beginning," Rose shrugged. "He told me, a while back, that he'd take any physical contact he could, because the mental contact had disappeared with Gallifrey. And from things Romana has said…he's different since the war."

"I don't understand that fully," Susan remarked. "Although I suppose I shouldn't ask too many questions."

"Questions are good," Rose said firmly. "The Doctor's taught me that."

They sat in silence again for a while, but a more comfortable silence. Rose was the one to break it again.

"So how did you end up back on Gallifrey?" she wanted to know.

"I'm not entirely sure," Susan admitted. "One minute I was on Earth with the resistance movement, and the next thing I knew I was here. Or to be more precise," she added, flushing, "I landed in Captain Harkness' bed."

Rose laughed. "Oh, I bet he just loved that!"

"He did seem to be pleasantly surprised, yes," Susan nodded. "But rather suspicious. He said something about having been conned the last time a beautiful woman landed on top of him…" She raised a questioning eyebrow when Rose bent double with laughter.

"That was me," she said between giggles. "Oh, poor Jack!" She shook her head fondly. "He's a good friend."

"Yes, I have found that," Susan said. "After we had introduced ourselves, he brought me to Romana. I had never met her, but she knew Grandfather, of course. And he told me a little about you and Grandfather, as well."

"What did he tell you?" Rose wanted to know.

"He said that he'd never seen two people more in love," Susan said candidly. "He said that if he ever found what you two have, he'd grab hold of it and not let go." Rose glanced at her sidelong. Susan looked back levelly. "You can't leave Gallifrey, you know," she continued. "Jack's right, it could be catastrophic."

"I can't stay," Rose said after a moment. "After what I said…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Anyway, I need to take Tim back." She closed her eyes. "I owe my family that much."

"Tell me about your family," Susan urged, minutes later.

"Not much to tell," Rose shrugged. "There's Mum and me – my dad died, years back. Grandpa Mark – the Doctor's terrified of him." She smiled slightly. "I think he threatened to castrate him, or something." Susan looked mildly shocked, so Rose moved on. "There's loads of cousins. Auntie Julie and her lot, Auntie Bridget – that's Izzy's mum. The last time I saw them all was at the wedding – Bella's wedding." She wrapped her arms around herself. "That's when the Doctor and me…"

She stood up suddenly. "I have to take him back," she said in a choked voice. "I don't care what the Doctor says, I have to!"

"Grandma – Rose – "

"No, Susan." Rose was shaking her head. "I have to go." She pushed her hair away from her face. "I need to find some way of getting home," she continued. "I don't know –"

"There's TARDISes," Susan said slowly, obviously reluctant. "There are always a few spare…some will be older models, but…"

"Can you fly one?" Rose demanded. "I've helped the Doctor, but I've never done it alone, and I can mostly help because of my connection to the TARDIS – our TARDIS, I mean."

"Because of this…Bad Wolf?" Susan tried to clarify.

"Yes," Rose nodded. "Susan, can you pilot a TARDIS?"

"Of course," Susan said. "It's been a while since I did, but you never really forget…" She stood up, eyes wide, and shook her head. "No, I couldn't. I couldn't possibly!"

"Please, Susan." Rose grabbed her granddaughter's hands and held them tightly. "Please. Do this for me."

Susan felt her resolve failing. "We'll never get past Grandfather," she said helplessly. "Not to mention Jack and Romana."

"We will," Rose contradicted her. "We'll take Izzy – can you and Izzy get Ti- the body into another TARDIS, while I distract Jack and Romana? The Doctor's still in the TARDIS somewhere, he won't realise until we're gone."

"But his telepathic link with the TARDIS – "

"I can block that," Rose overruled her. "Can you do it, Susan?"

After a moment, Susan nodded.

* * *

Jack narrowed his eyes, leaning back in his chair next to Romana's desk. Rose was up to something.

He couldn't quite work out what it was. He'd been expecting her to act differently – her cousin had just died, and she'd had a fight with the Doctor the likes of which he'd never seen before, not even when Rose had gone off with Mickey in Cardiff. But this…this was strange.

She was leaning against the TARDIS, cheek pressed against the blue wooden exterior. Her lips were moving, but lip-reading was not among Jack's many talents, and if she was speaking aloud, she was doing so in less than a whisper.

"Rose," he called out, after Rose had patted the TARDIS yet again. "What're you doing?"

Rose looked up at him, startled, as if she hadn't realised he was there. "Oh," she said. "Jack. Um." She stepped away from the TARDIS hurriedly. "Sorry."

Romana glanced up from the paperwork she was perusing. "Rose? Is there something wrong?"

Rose shook her head. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine," she repeated, as Jack looked at her with scepticism. "Really."

"Liar," he pronounced. "You talked to the Doctor yet?" Rose flushed guiltily. "Rose…"

"I know," she said shortly. "I know. I shouldn't have said it. But I did, and I couldn't find him anyway, he's off sulking somewhere." She glanced over her shoulder as Izzy and Susan came out of the TARDIS. Tim's body had already been taken by transmat to the TARDIS they were going to escape in.

Part of her wondered at that word. Escape. Was that what she was doing?

"Izzy and I are going to have some food," Susan told Romana. "We won't be long." She glanced at Rose and offered a smile. Izzy didn't look up; she kept her eyes focused on her shoes. Rose nodded.

"I'll come with you," she said, and shoved her hands into her pockets so nobody would see her clenched fists and whitened knuckles. "We'll be back in a bit, right?" Susan nodded. "Right." She looked at Jack. "If you see him…" She shrugged. "Tell him I'm sorry."

"You should tell him yourself," Jack said, a hint of disapproval in his voice. Rose shrugged awkwardly. Romana was watching her with something akin to suspicion.

"I will," Rose said after a moment. She nodded at Susan, and the three of them left Romana's rooms. The moment the door closed behind them, they started hurrying.

"Is it all ready?" Rose asked in a low voice, barely even taking in her surroundings.

"Yes – we can go as soon as we get there," Susan told her.

"Rose, why are you doing this?" Izzy demanded quietly. "The Doctor – "

"I don't care," Rose said, a strange tone in her voice. "I have to do this, Izzy. This is my fault. This…it's the least I can do."

"I'm not objecting," Izzy muttered. "But he'll be devastated."

They paused as Susan entered a code on a door lock.

"He'll know where to find me," Rose murmured to her cousin. "He always has done before, after all." The door slid open and the three entered the room. A TARDIS sat waiting for them – a plain white box. "The chameleon circuit must be working on this one," Rose observed with a slight grin.

"Quickly," Susan urged. "Someone might have noticed something." She opened the door of the TARDIS; they hurried in.

It was quite different to the Doctor's TARDIS. That ship had an organic feel to it – Rose had observed once that she rather felt as though it had been grown. This TARDIS was far more uniform. The walls sloped, similarly to the Doctor's TARDIS, but they were white, with blue lights dotted at intervals. The console was octagonal and appeared to be far more functional than the Doctor's – there were no odd levers and dials here.

Rose didn't like it, but she refused to stray from the path she had chosen.

"Do you need help?" she heard herself as Susan as the doors closed behind them.

"Yes, please," Susan answered. "I'm setting the co-ordinates now. London, Earth. Two thousand and six, yes?"

"That's right," Izzy said, when it became clear that Rose was not going to answer. "How close will we get to when we left?"

"I can't promise anything," Susan said honestly. "This isn't a new TARDIS – it's fully functional, but I'm afraid it's not likely to be as accurate as we'd like."

"Just get us back," Rose said absently. "Get us to the right spatial co-ordinates. Bad Wolf will do the rest."

Susan and Izzy shared an uneasy look, then Susan directed Izzy to the console and the three women left Gallifrey.

* * *

To be continued...soon.


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

Dedication: Charlotte and Helen.

* * *

Chapter Two

* * *

When the Doctor emerged from the TARDIS, Jack and Romana were starting to get worried. Rose, Izzy and Susan had been gone for nearly two Gallifreyan hours.

"What is it?" the Doctor demanded as he took in their expressions. Jack stood up and took a step towards him. "Where's Rose?"

"We're not sure," Romana admitted after a moment. "She went with Susan and Izzy for a meal, but that was some time ago."

"What do you mean, you're not sure?" the Doctor demanded. "Haven't they come back?" Jack shook his head. An awful expression wandered across the Doctor's face. "She's gone," he said in a low, angry voice. "She's gone back to Earth."

Jack shook his head. "Doctor, no, she couldn't have. There's no way she could leave Gallifrey."

"There's always TARDISes around here!" the Doctor lashed out. "She knows enough to fly one reasonably well, Bad Wolf would do the rest, and somehow she's persuaded Susan to help her!"

"Susan would not – " Romana began. The Doctor interrupted her.

"Susan would. She remembers Rose – remembers her as her grandmother! She doesn't know I know, but – " He broke off, shaking his head. He turned suddenly and punched a wall. "I can't believe she'd do something so utterly stupid."

"Doctor – she's upset, she's not thinking straight," Jack tried to rationalise.

"And that's an excuse, is it?" the Doctor demanded, whirling back to glare at the human. "That's a reason to – " He broke off and looked at Romana. "Find out if they've gone," he ordered tersely. "I'm going to try to track her with the TARDIS."

Jack followed him into the time ship.

"If you're going to make excuses for her, don't waste my time," the Doctor rumbled warningly. His back was to Jack and the door; he was bashing at the keypad with unnecessary force. "She's a bloody idiot."

"I'm not here to make excuses," Jack said calmly. "Do you want a hand?"

"I've managed for six months, relatively speaking, without your help, Captain. And hundreds of years before that."

Jack raised his eyebrows. The Doctor was at his most prickly, and he needed to find out why if he was going to get anywhere. He'd have to handle it carefully, he knew. If he pushed too hard or too fast, he'd be shoved out of the door and into Romana's desk before he could say TARDIS.

On the other hand, sometimes the direct approach was best.

"So, is this about Rose, the baby, or Gallifrey?" he inquired with studied nonchalance.

The Doctor stilled for a moment, then started typing again. He reached over and flicked a switch. "Don't see how it's any of your business."

"Rose is the closest thing I have to a family," Jack said clearly. "If it's to do with her, I make it my business." He moved towards the console, stopping just beyond the Doctor's reach. "She's my sister. She's hurting badly. So are you. Doctor, talk to me."

"I –" The Doctor stopped for a long moment, then he turned to face Jack. Unshed tears shone in his eyes for a moment, then he blinked them away. "Jack. Everything's so twisted around, I don't know how to straighten it up again. This is what I do, it's what I was born and trained to do. And I don't know how in this situation." He leaned back onto the console. "And Rose…"

"She ran from you," Jack said softly. "That's it, isn't it? You think she ran away from you." The Doctor said nothing, but he folded his arms. Jack nodded slowly. "Right. Because you're so awful, she couldn't possibly love you more than anything else in the universe, right?"

"You don't – " the Doctor started, but Jack cut him off.

"She couldn't possibly just be overwhelmed by everything that's going on," he continued. "Because no, she's not just a young woman – not only a twenty-one year old from pre-space travel Earth – she's Rose, she's your other half, she's the love of your, admittedly long, life." He paused. The Doctor had closed his eyes, but didn't take the opportunity to speak, so Jack went on. "She's Rose. She's strong. She's capable. She's…she's better than anything you or I will ever be. But she's still just a young woman, Doctor. She's just lost her cousin – you know she thinks it was her fault." The Doctor gave a sharp nod. "And this Bad Wolf thing – I remember you telling me your ideas about it, when we were travelling before, and now we know it's Rose…I bet she hasn't ever dealt with that, has she?"

The Doctor remained silent.

"Has she?" Jack demanded.

"No," the Doctor answered gruffly after a moment. "Everything was so weird, after…I took the time vortex out of her, and I thought I was going to regenerate, only I didn't – I don't know why. And then…and then we went back to London, to let Jackie know she was okay, and then we just…kept on going like normal."

Jack nodded sympathetically. "One adventure after another, always getting in or out of trouble."

"I don't try to get into trouble," the Doctor defended himself. Jack looked at him with scepticism. "Well, I never used to," the Time Lord grumbled. "But…yeah. Basically."

Jack nodded again. "And you went to Earth for a rest, right? Izzy said something about Rose's birthday."

"Yeah, and then this time jumper showed up." A thought crossed his mind, and he frowned faintly. "Thought it was a bit weird at the time, that. Thinking about it now, it must've been attracted by Bad Wolf." Jack frowned faintly. "Bad Wolf isn't Rose, exactly," the Doctor enlarged. "It's more like…a kind of energy field that's within her. And it attracts things, sometimes, and alters things."

"Like bringing Gallifrey back into existence?" Jack checked. "It can do things that big?"

The Doctor looked straight at Jack. "Bad Wolf, influenced by Rose, brought you back to life."

There wasn't quite anything Jack could say to that.

* * *

Jackie Tyler was waiting for them when they arrived in London. They'd got the date right, almost – it was a day after Rose and the Doctor had left with Tim and Izzy, a day after her birthday. Rose stepped out of the TARDIS – it disguised itself as a large white van, of all things – and couldn't quite look her mother in the eye.

"Where were you?" Jackie demanded, seething. "You disappear off with Tim and Izzy, not a word – and then you come back in this strange thing? What happened to the other TARDIS?" Her barrage of words stopped when Rose lifted her head to reveal red-rimmed eyes and unnatural pallor.

"What's happened?" Jackie asked in a whisper. "Rose?"

Rose's face crumpled and she stumbled forward into her mother's arms. "God, Mum, I'm so sorry, it's all my fault."

"What's happened?" Jackie asked again. "Where's the Doctor?" She looked over Rose's shoulder and saw Izzy and Susan emerge from the van. "Izzy? What's going on?"

"Mrs Tyler?" queried the woman who Jackie hadn't seen before. "I'm afraid…I'm sorry, but there's been an accident…"

"It's my fault," Rose said, her voice muffled as she spoke into Jackie's shoulder. "I killed him."

"What're you talking about?" Jackie asked. She hugged her daughter tight. "Rose? Izzy? Where's the Doctor? And where's Tim?"

Izzy hugged herself. "Tim's dead," she said in a flat voice. "He died." She leaned against the white van. "We brought him back."

"It's the Doctor's fault, isn't it?" Jackie muttered after a long, awful moment. "Where is he? I'm going to wring his neck."

"He's not here," Rose said, pulling away from her mother. "We got another ship, and came back." She looked studiously at Jackie's vibrantly-coloured earring. "I…he'll probably find us soon."

"You left the Doctor?" Jackie said incredulously. "Rose – "

"I'm pregnant," Rose interrupted. "And somehow Susan's my grand-daughter, and somehow the Doctor's planet's back, and I killed Tim."

Jackie covered her face with her hands momentarily, then took a deep breath. "We need tea," she muttered. "Good cup of tea, and a box of tissues, yeah?" Rose and Izzy both nodded; Susan looked faintly confused. "And then…" Jackie swallowed. "And then we can work out what to say to Bridget."

Rose nodded miserably, and allowed her mother to lead her. The four women walked up to the flat, where the younger three crowded together on the sofa. Susan had an arm protectively around Rose.

Jackie busied herself with making tea for as long as she could. She dug out a packet of biscuits – chocolate digestives, bought because they were the Doctor's favourites, and Rose could always persuade him to stay for a bit if there were chocolate biscuits offered – and made three trips to and from the kitchen, carrying mugs of tea and the plate of biscuits.

Finally, though, she had to sit down and face her daughter, and the truth.

"What happened?" she asked. She knew, with one part of her mind, how ridiculous she must sound, asking the same question again.

Once again, it was Susan who answered.

"I don't know how much you know about time travel, and temporal physics and things, Mrs Tyler," she said, a hint of apology in her voice.

"Not a lot," Jackie shrugged.

"Well, I'll try to explain it as simply as I can," Susan nodded. She paused, thinking. "When one travels in time, it's very important that you don't go to a place where you've already been. So for example, you couldn't go back and see…I don't know, Rose's birth. Because you would already be there, you see?" Jackie nodded slowly. "And we call that a temporal paradox. It can create big problems. Meeting oneself can be very dangerous. And having physical contact with your past self, or your future self – it can have extremely bad consequences."

Jackie frowned. "Is that what happened to Tim? He met himself?"

"Not exactly," Rose muttered. Susan took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Go on, Susan, you're doing a better job than I could."

"The thing is, Mrs Tyler," Susan said, continuing, "Rose is my grandmother. Or at least, she will be, when her children are grown up and I'm born. I'm from the future – the far future. And Tim, of course, was from my past. And when we met, it was in a place that shouldn't exist."

"The Doctor's planet," Izzy told her aunt. "It was destroyed."

"Wiped out from space and time," Rose said quietly.

"Anyway," Susan said, effectively stopping any further comment, "somehow Gallifrey was brought back into time, and we all ended up there. And then…" She floundered suddenly, and Rose took over.

"D'you remember what I told you," she began, "after I took the TARDIS and saved the Doctor? That I'd changed." Jackie nodded yet again. "It's because of that. Somehow, when Susan and Tim touched…something happened. Some sort of paradox, like Susan was saying, and anyway, it doesn't matter. Tim died. Because of me, because I changed back then."

"No, love." Jackie pushed the coffee table out of the way and knelt in front of Rose. "No, it wasn't your fault. I don't believe that. I refuse to believe that, Rose. I know you. I've seen you, I've seen what you do for the people you care about."

"I destroy them," Rose muttered.

"You put your life on the line for people you've never even met – that you're never even going to meet!" Jackie exclaimed. "The number of times I've laid awake at night – " She stopped and took a breath. There was no need for hysteria. "D'you remember Downing Street, love?" she asked then. Rose nodded, frowning faintly in confusion. "D'you remember the Doctor saying that he could save the world, but that you might die? D'you remember me pleading with him, telling him not to do it?"

"Yeah," Rose said hoarsely. "I remember."

"And what did you say?" Jackie pressed.

Rose cleared her throat slightly. "I told him to do it. To save the world."

Jackie nodded. "I was so proud of you, Rose. Scared as hell, but so proud. My little girl had grown up into this wonderful woman. And I sure as hell don't know where you get it from, but you're strong, Rose, and you're smart and you make the right choices."

Rose was crying again, tears quietly running down her cheeks.

"I don't understand how Tim died," Jackie wound down. "But I know it wasn't your fault. You would never, ever be to blame for something like that."

* * *

It was agreed that while Jackie and Izzy told the rest of the family that Tim was dead – they'd concocted a believable tale of an accident – Rose would have the responsibility of telling Grandpa Mark, and he would be told the truth.

Rose stood at the front door of her grandparents' semi-detached house. She felt sick and scared and she wished with all her heart that the Doctor was here with her to give her support.

But no. She was a grown woman – a mother, soon enough, and a grandmother too – and she had decided to do this alone. Alone she would do it.

"Get a grip," she muttered to herself as her hand hovered over the doorbell. "Did you or did you not destroy the entire Dalek race? You can do this." She moved to press the bell; the door swung open before she could do so.

"Rose!" declared Grandpa Mark. "Rose Tyler, as I live and breath. Come in, come in. What're you doing standing on the doorstep? And where's that Doctor fellow?"

Rose hugged herself. "He's…not here." She looked at her shoes, at Mark's slippered feet, at the welcome mat – anything to avoid meeting his eyes. "Grandpa…I need to talk to you."

Mark gave her one of his sharp looks, then nodded. "Right. Come in. Tea?"

"No, thanks," Rose murmured. She closed the door behind her. "Is Grandma in?"

"No, she's out with Katie Holmes. You remember her?"

"Next door neighbour," Rose said. She sank into her grandmother's usual armchair and twisted her fingers together.

"Whatever you've got to say," Mark said after a moment, "you can just say it. Don't dawdle around the issue, Rose."

Rose took a deep breath, looked her grandfather in the eye, and said it. "Tim's dead."

Mark sat down shakily. "How?" he demanded hoarsely.

"He…he was with the Doctor and me," Rose said, forcing the words out. "There was an accident, and…and he died."

"What kind of an accident?" he almost growled at her.

"A sort of temporal paradox," Rose answered him truthfully. "I don't really understand it…only it's nobody's fault, Grandpa. It was just…" She shuddered, trying not to cry yet again. "It was an accident," she repeated softly.

Grandpa Mark closed his eyes for a long moment, then he looked at her again. "The Doctor – he's a time traveller," he reminded both of them. "He can go back – stop it, fix it somehow. Stop Tim dying."

But Rose was shaking her head. "No," she told him. "He doesn't do that. It's not safe – crossing timelines, it's dangerous, it's the same sort of temporal paradoxes, it could destroy much more than just one life."

"Tim is your cousin," Mark snapped. "Don't you –"

"No," Rose cried out. "No, I don't!"

They stared at each other. Rose was taking deep gulping breaths; she felt sick again.

"What's wrong?" Mark asked after a while. "Are you ill, Rose?"

"Not exactly," Rose said lowly. "I'm pregnant, Grandpa."

Mark expelled a slow breath. "Oh, Rose. I'm not old enough to be a great-grandfather!"

"I'm not old enough to be a grandmother," Rose returned. "But thanks to time travel, I've met my granddaughter." Mark raised his eyebrows. Rose shrugged one shoulder. "She's back at Mum's," she explained. "She came back with Izzy and me."

"Oh ho," Mark said grimly. "So where's the Doctor, then?"

"He's on Gallifrey," Rose muttered. "His home planet."

Mark took a deep breath. "Young lady, you'll start at the beginning," he directed. "Or we shan't be able to make head nor tails of this nonsense."

Rose sighed and tried to explain. Mark stopped her with questions time and again, and they paused for cups of tea at various points as Rose tried to control her emotions. At one point Mark cried as well, and Rose ended up squashed in a chair with him as they hugged each other.

Finally Rose finished her story, and Grandpa Mark blew his nose.

"Oh, dear girl," he said heavily. "What a mess."

Rose nodded miserably. "Yeah."

"So what are you going to do to sort it out?" Mark wanted to know.

"I don't know," she shrugged. Mark shook his head at her.

"Oh no, you can do better than that," he told her tartly. "You've not been travelling around the universe without picking up some things. You need to sort this out, especially with the Doctor and especially with a baby on the way."

"So you're not mad about that?" Rose wanted to know. "I mean, I know Grandma was young when she had Auntie Bridget, but that's different…" She looked at him pleadingly. He smiled at her.

"It was different," he agreed. "But every time is different, Rose, every person is different. And you're going to make a wonderful mother, I know you will." The doorbell rang suddenly, startling them. "Answer that, will you?" Mark directed.

Rose obeyed, and opened the front door to reveal Izzy and Susan.

"I thought we'd come to see if you'd been murdered," Izzy joked weakly. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," Rose nodded. "We're fine. C'mon, come in." She flashed Susan a smile. "Come meet more of the family."

Mark stood up when the three came into the sitting room, and he enveloped Izzy in a hug before looking Susan over.

"So," he said. "You'd be Susan, yes?"

"Yes sir," Susan said, a little uneasy. She looked to Rose for direction; Rose simply smiled. "Susan Foreman," she added.

"Rose's granddaughter," Mark said. "Yes, I can see it…you've got her nose…" Rose and Susan both fingered their noses self-consciously. "So you're from the future?" Susan nodded silently. "Well." Mark nodded once. "Welcome to the family, Susan."

"Thank you," Susan said, bewildered.

"If you've passed muster with Grandpa Mark, you'll fit right in," Izzy explained to her with a broad smile. "He's a tyrant." Mark glared at her, and she smiled innocently at him. "But he's the loveliest grandfather ever," she wheedled.

"And would you be saying that if you weren't in front of me, I wonder!" Mark retorted. "Well, what are you two going to do about getting Rose back to her Doctor, then, eh?"

* * *

"It's not easy."

Silence.

"It's not. And yeah, I'm scared. Bet you're sitting somewhere laughing at me for that, aren't you?"

No reply.

"I'm scared of what he'll say. I'm scared of what I am. God, I don't even know what I am, Tim!"

The new gravestone gave her no answer, but Rose expected none. The dead couldn't talk. Not like this.

The funeral had been that morning – a week after Rose had brought back the body from Gallifrey. Bridget had been inconsolable, her other children had cried quietly. Julie and Jackie had helped their sister as much as they could, and Uncle Jeff had helped with the children. There'd been a wake, of sorts, but that had been much earlier.

It was nearly dark now, and Rose sat on the damp grass next to her cousin's grave.

"D'you remember when we were kids?" she asked the air. "We were inseparable. Did everything. You remember the firework, and that cat?" She lapsed into silence again and tugged a few blades of grass from the earth. "I'm sorry, Tim."

She stood up then and stretched carefully. "I have to find the answers," she said quietly. "I have to find out why you died, Tim. I will find out, I promise."

"The only place I can think of going for answers," Susan said from behind her, "is Gallifrey. The Doctor will know."

"No."

"Rose – Grandma – "

"No." Rose was adamant. "I'm not ready to go back there yet, Susan. I'll understand if you want to go, but I can't. I'll find some other way to travel. I know where I have to go."

"Where?" Susan wanted to know.

"The Doctor," Rose said. Susan frowned. "But not in this regeneration."

"A past regeneration? Grandma, you know how dangerous that is," Susan said worriedly.

"All of this is dangerous," Rose said, waving a hand about vaguely. "Life is dangerous. But there's only one person I trust to give me a straight answer, and that's the Doctor. I can't go to my Doctor, so I'll go to another."

Susan sighed, and visibly resigned herself. "Which regeneration, then? Where do you want to look?"

"Not the one that raised you," Rose decided. "From what the Doctor's said, the first few regenerations won't understand. Maybe…" She trailed off as her eyes lit up with an idea. "The Defender of Time," she murmured. Susan frowned. "His seventh body," Rose enlarged. "I'll go to him."

"I'm not sure this is a good idea," Susan confessed.

"Neither am I," Rose said truthfully. "But what other choice do we have?"

* * *

To be continued...soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Chapter Three

* * *

"I do believe," the Doctor remarked, "that this is turning out to be a very pleasant afternoon." Next to him, Ace grinned.

"Well, we haven't run into trouble yet, Professor," she agreed. "It's only three o'clock, though."

"Don't invite trouble, Ace," the Doctor advised, taking a sip of tea. "After the week you've had, I thought you'd enjoy the peace and quiet."

"It's alright," Ace said agreeably. "No Daleks or Cybermen here, at least!"

"Hm." The Doctor inspected a scone, but before he could take a bite, the familiar wheezing sound of a TARDIS came to his ears. He looked up sharply.

"Isn't that the TARDIS?" Ace demanded, looking around. "Professor – "

"It's _a_ TARDIS," the Doctor told her. "Not mine." He frowned. "Not from my current timeline, at least. Ah, there it is – over there, you see?" He stood up and crossed the lawn to the time ship that had materialised out of nowhere. It had disguised itself as a garden shed, but still stuck out like a sore thumb in the gardens of the castle he and Ace were visiting for afternoon tea.

The shed door swung open to reveal a young woman – slightly older than Ace, the Doctor judged. She had obviously been crying recently. Then she moved a little, and another woman was revealed.

"Susan?" the Doctor said, startled.

"Grandfather," Susan said, with a cautious smile. The other woman – the one he didn't know, looked at him with wide eyes. "Hello," Susan added.

"Who's this, Professor?" Ace asked, coming up beside him.

"This is Susan," the Doctor said after a blank moment. "My granddaughter." Susan smiled wider, and glanced at the woman next to her. "Susan, what are you doing here?"

"It's a long story, Grandfather," Susan told him. She looked inquiringly at Ace.

"Oh, this is Ace," the Doctor said. "She's travelling with me at the moment."

"You always have to have someone travelling with you," the unknown woman said, with a faint smile that told of some other knowledge of him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" the Doctor frowned.

"Not yet."

"Rose is from your future," Susan put in quickly.

Rose and the Doctor stared at each other. The Doctor nodded after a moment. "Right, then. Join us for tea, Rose. And you too, Susan, of course. I haven't seen you in centuries – how's that chap, David something?"

"He died," Susan said softly. "Not long ago, by my timeline." She smiled with a little effort. "You said something about tea?"

"It's this way," Ace said, when it became obvious that the Doctor wasn't going to speak. "C'mon." Susan followed her across the lawn; Rose and the Doctor remained by the TARDIS.

"Which of me do you travel with?" the Doctor wanted to know. "Which Doctor, as it were?"

"Ninth," Rose said quietly, and cleared her throat. "Doctor, I know it's dangerous, messing with time like this, but – "

"It is," the Doctor said, a warning glint in his eyes. "I'm sure I shall have something to say to you, when you return to my future."

"If I do," Rose nodded. She smiled a strange half-smile. "Love the accent. Mine's gone Northern, but…"

"Yes, well, the least said about that the better," the Doctor told her. He looked keenly at her. "You do seem familiar…"

"I need your help," Rose said quickly.

"Why not ask your Doctor?"

"Because…" She stopped with a swift inhalation. "Well, you won't remember any of this anyway, so I might as well tell you."

"What do you mean?" the Doctor demanded.

"A while ago – six months, and this is by my timeline – I looked into the Time Vortex," Rose said candidly. The Doctor opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "Doctor, you won't remember any of this after I'm gone. It changed me, looking into the Vortex – and because of that, and there's other stuff that I really can't tell you, you won't remember me after I'm gone. D'you understand?"

"I believe so," the Doctor said slowly. "I think, my dear, we had better sit down and have a talk."

"Yes, but Doctor, there's something else I need to tell you," Rose hurried on nervously. "I'm pregnant." The Doctor raised his eyebrows, waiting for her to finish. "With…with a Time Lord's child," Rose added.

She didn't need to say the rest; he understood, and gave a sharp nod. "Well then, Rose. Shall we have some tea. Ace will be getting impatient, and I suspect our granddaughter will be not less so."

He held out his arm, and she took it with a faint smile. They crossed the lawn to the other two; Ace had ordered some more tea and scones, and Rose fell upon these with enthusiasm.

"So," the Doctor said, watching with some amusement as Rose sated her appetite, "I think I have some idea of why you have come to see me, Rose. Susan, perhaps you could fill in some details for me?"

"If I can, Grandfather," Susan nodded, sipping her tea.

"Rose looked into the Time Vortex, correct?" Susan and Rose both nodded. "And this mutated her, if you like."

"Yes," Susan nodded. "But we don't know what into."

The Doctor shook his head. "That is irrelevant," he pronounced, rolling his words. "Let me continue. This metamorphosis has created problems, yes? Difficulties in time and space."

"Yes," Rose nodded. "I…I brought people back to life, I killed the – " She widened her eyes and changed what she was going to say. "I killed an entire species," she continued. "I even brought a planet back into existence." Ace gaped at her. Rose gave a half-shrug in response.

The Doctor frowned. "Averting the destruction of the planet, or altering time on a more substantial level?" he wanted to know.

"She reopened a planet's possibilities," Susan answered him softly. The Doctor threw a sharp glance at Rose, who didn't look at him. "Please – Grandfather – we need some answers."

"Yes," the Doctor nodded. "You do." He looked sternly at Rose. "You ought never to have left me – him – your Doctor," he reprimanded her. "We have no idea what could have happened. Temporal instability, at the very least."

"My cousin died – I had to take him back to my time," Rose contested. "I meant to just go back, but…"

"I'm still confused," Ace spoke up. "Rose is from your future, Professor?"

"Yes, indeed," the Doctor nodded. "And Susan is my granddaughter."

"Yes, I got that part," Ace nodded. "But what's all this about a time vortex?"

Rose grinned slightly. "How much time have you got?"

"With him?" Ace asked rhetorically, jerking her head at the Doctor. "However much I need!"

* * *

"It's not your fault. You know that, right?"

The Doctor lifted his head and looked at Jack. He looked haggard and old, and it worried Jack.

"Of course it's my fault," he said bitingly. "It's all my bloody fault. I should've taken the time – " He cut himself off angrily. "She'll have gone back to her mum," he said after a moment. "We can start looking there."

"Doctor – you're going to leave?" Romana asked cautiously.

"I can't help here," the Doctor said bluntly. "There's nothing I can do about the temporal instability, and the rest of it, without Bad Wolf." He paused and met Jack's eyes in acknowledgement. "Without Rose." He stood up and leaned on the console. "I need to find her, Romana."

"I know," Romana said after a moment. "That much is obvious, Doctor." She took a breath and moved to stand next to him. "Doctor – I know you fear losing Gallifrey again. I can't possibly imagine – "

"No," he said curtly. "You can't."

"But I do not think that will happen," Romana continued, brushing aside his interruption. "If Rose, or Bad Wolf, or whatever you wish to call it, has brought Gallifrey's possibilities back, then the likelihood is that unless she does something to stop that, Gallifrey will remain."

"I don't care."

Jack jerked in surprise; Romana's mouth dropped open.

"I don't care," the Doctor repeated. "Nothing is worthwhile without Rose. Not even having my home back. She's my home now."

"Then go," Romana said. She hesitated, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Good luck, Doctor."

She left the TARDIS, closing the door behind her. The Doctor continued to stare at the console for a long moment, then he sprang into action.

"Right, London, Powell Estate," he said. "Jack, give us a hand. She'll have aimed for the day we left – probably made it, too, with Bad Wolf. It was her birthday."

"Right." Jack took his old place at the console; the TARDIS started moving almost immediately. "Smoother take-off," he commented.

"Not the time, Jack," the Doctor said curtly. "Hold that lever down." Jack did as he was told, remembering easily the combination of levers, buttons and dials needed to fly the TARDIS through time and space. The pair of them worked well together. "Won't take long," the Doctor called out. "TARDIS knows where to go, by now…"

He gave a yell; sparks erupted from the console and he took a step away involuntarily.

"Oh, come on, girl," he said. "You want Rose back as much as I do, I know you do!"

There was a final shudder as the TARDIS materialised. The Doctor, sucking on the pad of one finger, went straight to the door and flung it open. The TARDIS was parked in its usual place, and Jackie Tyler – on her way home from shopping, judging from the plastic bag she carried – was staring with a hard glint in her eyes.

"Jackie," the Doctor greeted tersely. "Where is she? Where's Rose?"

"Give me a reason I should tell you," Jackie said, putting her bags down. "After Tim – and Rose here in floods of tears – give me a reason why I should tell you where she is!"

"You don't know," the Doctor guessed accurately. "She's gone. Dammit!" He turned and kicked the TARDIS hard. "Why the hell couldn't you land a week earlier?" he demanded of it, quietly furious.

Jackie took a step towards him, uncertain. "Doctor, what – "

Jack stepped out of the TARDIS just in time to stop the Doctor snapping at the human woman.

"You must be Rose's mom," he said. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness, I travelled with your daughter and the Doctor for a while, some time ago. Mickey may have said something?" Jackie nodded dumbly. "Mrs Tyler, it's very important that we find Rose. What can you tell us?"

"I don't know," Jackie said after a moment, almost plaintively. "She disappeared off just after the funeral, with Susan – left Izzy here – she didn't tell me, or anything, but she's not been back since." She approached the Doctor; he was leaning against the TARDIS, forehead pressed to the wood and eyes closed. "Doctor – " She stopped when he looked at her. "Oh, Doctor," she whispered. "C'mon, let's go have a cuppa, yeah?"

It was a sign of how tired and worn down the Doctor was that he didn't disagree. He trailed Jackie and Jack up to the flat, sat down when Jackie ordered him to and accepted his tea with a murmur of thanks.

"Tell me what's happening," Jackie said at last. "Rose said something about paradoxes, I dunno, I don't understand any of it. But it's to do with that Bad Wolf thing you told me about, right? I just…" She sighed and shook her head. "Doctor, I don't like you," she said bluntly. "But you're everything to her. She needs you, and if I can help get you back to her…"

"You hate me," the Doctor contradicted her dully.

"Doctor," Jack said in exasperation. "She's trying to help."

"I don't know what to do," the Doctor said after a long moment. "I thought…I thought she'd be here."

He looked so utterly helpless and so devoid of hope that Jackie set down her mug and wrapped her arms around him.

The Doctor didn't know how to respond. He was used to hugs from Rose – welcomed them, in fact. He'd hugged both Susan and Romana when he'd met them again, but that had been spontaneous. He hugged Jack from time to time, but this…

This was Jackie Tyler. Hugging him.

After a long moment, he gingerly hugged her back. He was thoroughly relieved when she let go and retreated back to her seat.

* * *

"Well, you can't stay with me," the Doctor said, looking sternly at Rose over his teacup. "I won't remember you after this brief visit, but too much longer could be harmful to my timeline."

Rose nodded. "Right."

"And I rather suspect that you don't want to go back to your Doctor just yet, hm?"

Susan and Ace both looked sidelong at Rose, who flushed slightly and studied the pattern on her plate.

"I need time," she said quietly. "I love him – and I know it's not fair on him, me disappearing off like this, but I…I need to sort myself out."

The Doctor gave a brisk nod. "Quite right, too. I'm sure I shall understand." That drew a small smile from Rose. "But where to do it, is the question."

"You could go back to your time," Ace suggested. "Back to your mum."

Rose shook her head. "The Doctor'll look there first," she proclaimed. "And it's a mess, there. The whole family's upset."

"I agree," Susan spoke up. "Rose's time is not suitable – or at least, not with her family."

"No." The Doctor frowned thoughtfully. "Well, I do know a number of people on Earth," he said after a moment. "Some of them do owe me a favour…"

"Who, Professor?" Ace asked curiously.

"I was thinking of the Brigadier," he told her. Ace grinned; Rose and Susan looked inquisitive. "I'm sure you know I worked with a group on Earth for a while," he enlarged for Rose.

She nodded. "Yes – UNIT, or something, right?"

"Yes. The Brigadier is a very old friend of mine – seen him every once in a while since my second regeneration." He took a sip of tea. "Yes, I do believe you could stay with the Brigadier and his wife."

"I wouldn't want to be any trouble," Rose said quickly.

"It wouldn't be," the Doctor said firmly. He finished his tea and stood up. "No time like the present! Off to the TARDIS. Ace, you lead the way."

The TARDIS, Rose discovered, had changed a lot after this seventh regeneration.

"Weird," she commented, looking around the almost sterile room. "Very…white."

"It was like this when I grew up with Grandfather," Susan told her. She inspected the console. "Things have changed a bit, of course."

"Change is a good thing," the Doctor said briskly, hanging up his umbrella and hat. "Unless, of course, it isn't."

"That's a paradox," Rose observed. "So are we – " She was cut off as the Doctor pulled a lever on the console, and the TARDIS lurched ever-so-slightly sideways. She grabbed hold of the console. "Give us some warning!"

"So sorry," the Doctor called out. "Hang on, everybody!"

It was a matter of moments before the TARDIS once again landed, with far less fanfare than the later version of the time ship did. Rose straightened up and tried to ignore her nausea. It worked.

"Right," she said. "So where are we?"

"The Brigadier's back garden," the Doctor smiled at her. "And the year is nineteen ninety two. Early enough, we hope, to avoid you crossing your own timeline." He checked something on the console. "And the precise time is six o'clock of the evening."

He pulled a lever to open the doors, crossed the control room and exited the TARDIS. Ace followed him swiftly. Susan and Rose looked at each other for a moment.

"Are you sure about this, Grandma?" Susan asked quietly. "It's not too late to go back to the Doctor, you know."

"I'm sure," Rose said, and followed the Doctor.

The Doctor and Ace were standing near a large house with another man; Rose looked around the garden as she approached them. It was lovely, an oasis of calm.

"This is Rose Tyler," the Doctor said as she joined them. "Rose, this is the Brigadier – Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart."

"Retired," the Brigadier put in. "And I mean it this time." He threw an aggravated look at the Doctor, who smiled benignly. "Well, Miss Tyler. You need a place to stay for a while, I understand."

"Yes," Rose nodded. "But really, I don't want to put anyone to any trouble…"

"It's no trouble."

The group turned to see a woman at the door of the house. She was smiling at Rose.

"It's no trouble," she repeated. "I'm Doris – Alistair's wife." She approached Rose and put her arms around her. "You look as though you need a jolly good rest," she said authoritatively. "And a rest you shall have." She threw the Doctor a smile. "Don't you worry," she told him. "I'll take good care of her."

"I'm sure you will, Doris," the Doctor smiled. "Why don't you two go into the house? Ace and I must be off in a moment, but I need to talk to Alistair." Doris looked at him suspiciously, then nodded and took Rose into the house. "Ace, why don't you go and wait in the TARDIS, hm?"

"But Professor," Ace began to object. He looked at her sternly, and she subsided and returned to the TARDIS.

"So she's in trouble?" the Brigadier asked in a low voice.

"Very much so," the Doctor nodded. "I can't explain it all to you, Brigadier, but suffice it to say, she needs to stay out of harm's way – and she needs to be kept calm and quiet."

"We'll do our best," the Brigadier nodded. "But Doctor, you say this isn't her proper time – she can't stay here forever, surely?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, her Doctor – one of my other selves – will find her, probably sooner rather than later, and he'll take her with him again. She won't be left here, don't worry. But," and he looked sterner than ever now, "I won't be back. I won't remember my encounter with young Rose, so if in the future you come across any of me, you mustn't mention this. Do you understand?"

"As usual, not at all, Doctor," the Brigadier said dryly. "I get the gist," he added, as the Doctor opened his mouth again. "Rose will be safe here, never fear."

* * *

Susan rang the doorbell with more than a little apprehension. She'd seen the Doctor's TARDIS outside the flats, knew that he must be in here.

But she'd promised Rose to tell Jackie that she was alright, so that was what she was going to do.

The door swung open. Susan's mouth dropped open in astonishment – and a little fear.

"Jack!" she said. "What are you doing here?"

He looked grimly at her. "Susan. You'd better come in."

Then, in a flurry of black leather, the Doctor was there, gripping her shoulders and staring intently at her.

"Where is she, Susan?" he demanded. "Where's Rose?"

"Let the poor girl in," Jackie ordered from somewhere behind the men. She was ignored by the two Gallifreyans.

"I can't tell you," Susan said defiantly. "Let go of me, Grandfather."

"Susan. Where is my wife?" the Doctor asked, forcing each word out past a clenched jaw.

"You're hurting me!" she said shrilly. The Doctor let go of her suddenly, a guilty look on his face. Susan rubbed at her shoulder; Jack put his arm around her protectively, glaring at the Doctor.

"This isn't helping," he snapped.

"I know. I'm sorry." The Doctor slumped against the wall for a moment, gave Susan an agonised glance, then pushed past Jackie and went into Rose's old bedroom. The door shut firmly behind him. Jackie sighed and covered her face with her hands.

"It'll be alright," Jack said encouragingly. "C'mon, let's all go sit down again." He drew Susan into the flat and kicked the door shut behind them.

"D'you want a cuppa?" Jackie asked Susan as they trailed into the lounge. Susan shook her head. "Right." She sat down. It had been a long day, trying to get a straight answer out of the Doctor. She was exhausted.

"Why did you and Rose disappear off?" Jack wanted to know. "Susan, you know it was dangerous."

"Of course. But Grandma asked me to help her, and I…" Susan hesitated. "I couldn't say no," she ended lamely.

"You could have." Jack refused to compromise on this point. "Who knows what sort of damage could have happened. I love Rose – she's like a sister to me – but she was wrong to leave."

Susan shook her head. "No, she was right to. The Doctor – " She cut herself off and stared hard at the floor. "I only came to tell Jackie that Rose is alright," she said stiffly. "That's all. I can't say any more."

"You mean you won't."

Susan looked up to see her grandfather. He was leaning against the wall, arms folded and face carefully blank.

"You won't tell me anything," he continued. "It's not that you can't. What were you going to say, Susan?"

Susan pursed her lips, torn. She was not accustomed to keeping secrets from her grandfather, but on the other hand…

"Rose and I went to see one of your past regenerations," she said carefully.

Jack frowned. "What?"

"Which one?" the Doctor asked, voice too even to be a normal tone.

"Your seventh, I believe," Susan said, with a little shrug. "You won't remember it – Rose said it was something to do with the Time Vortex, and Bad Wolf."

The Doctor nodded absently, his gaze focused on some other thing. "She's right – I don't remember it. I know why she went to that me, though." He looked up at Jack. "Defender of Time," he said, with faint disgust. "That's what I was then. She knew to go to him for help. To hide from me."

"Grandfather, no!" Susan cried. "She's not hiding from you, she just – "

"Needs some time," Jack suggested.

"Rose needs more than time," Jackie spoke up. "She needs to know you still love her, still want her."

"Of course I do," the Doctor said, barely glancing at her. "Where did he take her, Susan? Where did she go?" Susan looked away. "Susan, please, you have to tell me."

"I'm sorry," Susan said quietly. "Grandma asked me not to tell you."

The Doctor turned away, too angry to look at his grandchild. Jack shot him a glance, then went to kneel in front of Susan. He took her hands in his.

"Susan, please," he entreated. "We have to find her. You know we do."

Susan closed her eyes. "Jack…"

"Susan. Please." He released one of her hands and cupped her cheek. "Please."

Susan opened her eyes and took a deep breath, then looked up at the Doctor.

"She's with the Brigadier," she said quietly.

* * *

To be continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Chapter Four

* * *

Rose sat on the stone bench in the garden, one hand resting lightly on her swollen stomach. Summer was fading into autumn, and the lawn was liberally sprinkled with fallen leaves in all colours.

She had been here for five months.

Alistair and Doris, as they had insisted on being called, had been very kind to her. Rose had scarcely had to lift a finger since arriving, and she sometimes wondered what the Doctor had said to them. But it had given her a chance to sort out her head – a painful chance. It hadn't been easy.

She wondered, sometimes, why the Doctor – her Doctor, her Theta – hadn't managed to turn up yet. He wasn't stupid, he'd figure it out eventually. She missed him – missed his smiles and his mercurial moods, missed his kisses, missed him clutching her tight in his sleep. She missed him constantly pushing her intellect.

She almost regretted coming here. But not quite.

She looked up with a smile as the Brigadier approached.

"Hello," she said.

"You, my dear, shouldn't be out here without a coat," he said sternly. "You'll catch a cold, and Doris will have my head."

"I'm not cold," Rose claimed. "Besides, the baby likes it." She rubbed her hand over her stomach gently. Alistair smiled fondly. "He's been busy today. He thinks he's a footballer."

"Maybe he will be," Alistair offered.

"Maybe." Rose sighed wistfully. "Maybe this is never going to end." She shrugged. "But the Doctor will find me, and I'll go with him, and back to Gallifrey, back to sort out the mess I made. And my baby will grow up to be a Time Lord."

The Brigadier let out a long, slow breath. This was not the first time she had talked about the Doctor, Gallifrey, and the other things she had left. But this was the only time she had intimated that she would be returning to the Doctor.

"So you'll go with him, when he comes for you?"

"Yes." Rose looked up at the tree above them. "I love him. More than anything else." She watched a blackbird as it hopped from branch to branch. "But I'm so different now," she continued. "This thing inside of me…it's part of me. I think it was always meant to be. And I'm not human, I'm not plain old Rose Tyler anymore. I'm different."

"That's no bad thing, you know," he pointed out.

"No, I know." She smiled at him suddenly. "You're a good friend, Alistair. I'm sorry you've had to play host for so long."

"Oh, rubbish," Alistair said, pretending that he wasn't pleased at her words. "It's a pleasure, Rose, you know that. And besides, you can hardly help it if the Doctor can't land his TARDIS in the right place and time, now can you?"

Rose's smile turned sheepish. "Well, actually…"

"Oh ho! What have you been doing, little Miss Tyler?" he demanded, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile.

"I've sort of been…blocking him," Rose admitted. "So he can't land anywhere near, only he doesn't know it's because of me. He thinks the TARDIS is just playing up again." She turned sombre. "It's not a kind thing to do, but I did need some time."

"And have you had enough time?" the Brigadier asked gently.

Instead of answering him with words, Rose leaned down and picked up a fallen leaf. It was still mostly green, tinged with golden-brown. She concentrated on it. A wisp of golden light seemed to light up her eyes and he saw the same light playing over her fingers.

The green slowly left the leaf as the cells died. Golden-brown, then brown, then the leaf crumbled into small pieces and fell from her hand.

"Yes," Rose said then. "I've had enough time."

* * *

He had been trying to get to the right time period for a week straight before he finally managed it. He didn't know why, but it seemed as if the TARDIS had been stopping him finding Rose.

He straightened up, suddenly afraid.

Jack put a hand on his shoulder.

"It'll be alright," he assured the Time Lord. "Don't worry, Rose is waiting for you."

"Who's worried?" the Doctor retorted. "I'm just…making sure I've got the date right, that's all." He tried to ignore the knowing look that Jack and Susan exchanged. "Well. Let's go, then."

He strode over to the door and flung it open to reveal the Brigadier's garden. It was just as he remembered it from his last visit, when he'd been in his seventh regeneration.

Except for one vital difference.

He strode towards her, eyes dark with anger. She must have heard him coming, his boots crunching over the dry leaves on the ground, but she didn't turn around to greet him. The Brigadier, seated next to her, stood up and turned.

"Doctor," he greeted, with a tight nod. "Quite a different look for you, I must say."

"Brigadier," the Doctor said tersely, not taking his eyes off Rose. "Excuse us. I need a word with my wife."

Rose shivered, but still didn't turn to face him. She remained sitting on the stone bench, back straight. The Brigadier glanced between them.

"Rose?" he questioned.

"It's alright, Alistair," she said forcing a note of lightness into her voice. "It's fine. Could we…could we have a minute?"

"It'll be more than a minute," the Doctor muttered grimly. Alistair and Rose both pretended not to hear him. The ex-soldier rested a hand on Rose's shoulder for a moment, then made his way slowly back to the house.

"Look at me," the Doctor ordered, his voice low and shaking with anger. "Rose." She shuddered slightly, stood up, and turned to face him.

He sucked in a breath quickly. Rose – his Rose – stood before him, swollen with child. Her jumper was stretched over her stomach, her hands rested lightly over it – almost protectively, part of him noted. Her hair was loose, hanging around her face. She had a light tan – she'd obviously been spending a lot of time outdoors.

She looked like nothing he'd ever seen before. She reminded him of the Great Mother, a deity worshipped on a planet in the outer reaches of the Narn system.

She was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

And she was clearly over half-way through her pregnancy. Although his fury abated a little, he was still angry.

"How long have you been here?" he asked, almost biting off the words.

"About five months," Rose answered quietly.

"You – " The Doctor cut himself off and took a deep breath. "Rose. How could you?"

Rose shrugged one shoulder. "You're gonna have to be a little more specific, Doctor," she said.

How could you leave me? the Doctor wanted to ask. How could you do that to me? How could you live somewhere, my child growing in your womb, without me there to see it?

He asked none of these things, choosing to remain silent instead, his eyes condemning her more than words ever could.

Rose shifted, uncomfortable. "Doctor, please," she murmured. "You think this is easy for me?"

"For better or worse," the Doctor said after a moment. "In sickness and health. Did it mean anything to you, Rose?" Rose gasped, stricken. The Doctor looked away, determined not to feel guilty.

The silence was only broken by the birds in the garden around them until Rose took a deep breath.

"I needed some time," she said. "To sort my head out." The Doctor opened his mouth, but she held up a hand. "No, please, Doctor, let me say this, yeah?" He nodded silently. "We never sorted it out. Bad Wolf, and what it is, and what I am now. I needed to do that – Gallifrey was messing my head up."

"You mean I was messing your head up," the Doctor observed flatly.

"No," Rose rapped out sharply. "I don't mean that. It's killed me, these last months – god, every time I turned around I wanted you to be there, Theta! But I needed to do this. I needed to work out what I _am_, don't you see that?"

The Doctor folded his arms. "I see that you didn't trust me," he snapped. "If you'd told me all this, I would have –"

"How long have you been trying to get here, Doctor?" Rose interrupted him.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he asked. She looked evenly at him. "A week, give or take."

"And it would've been less time," Rose nodded, "if Bad Wolf hadn't been stopping you getting here." He started to speak but she continued, ignoring him. "And a week wouldn't have been long enough, Doctor. Not nearly. I'm only just…" She trailed off, tears in her eyes. She turned and sat back on the bench, exhausted.

"I'm sorry," she said, so quietly that only a Time Lord would be able to hear her. "I'm so, so sorry, Theta. I was such a mess…I don't even know that I knew what I was doing."

She sounded so thoroughly miserable that it was the most natural thing in the world for the Doctor to move around the bench, sit down, and gather her into his arms. She leaned into him, burying her face in his jacket, breathing him in. One hand clutched at the lapel of his jacket, the other clutched at his shoulder.

"Theta," she murmured. "I'm really sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's not your fault," the Doctor said roughly. "I don't blame you, Rose."

"You did," she pointed out, not pulling away from him. "And I'm sorry." She shifted then, took one of his hands and placed it on her stomach. "He's kicking," she informed him.

He could feel it. Tiny movements beneath the skin, emanating from her womb. A tiny baby, living inside her, taking nourishment, growing, waiting for the right moment to emerge.

"My baby," he murmured. "I've missed so much…"

Rose shook her head. "Not really. And there's photos and things, of the nicer bits. I know it's not the same, but I…" She trailed off, shrugging awkwardly.

"You're right, it's not the same." The Doctor looked up at her, his hand still on her stomach. "Rose…Why?"

"Because I love you too much to put you through what I've been through," Rose said, voice cracking. A tear slid down her cheek. "Doctor…if you'd been here, things would have happened. I know what I am now, I know what Bad Wolf is, but that doesn't mean I can control it all the time. Me bringing back Gallifrey – that's not all I've done or can do. It's linked to you – Bad Wolf, I mean. And it's hurt, and it's been bad, and I didn't want you to have to deal with any of that."

"Rose, I'd go through hell and back for you," the Doctor said honestly. "You think I wouldn't? I wouldn't hesitate. I'd die for you in an instant. You know that."

"I know," Rose said, with a faint smile. "I think I've always known that."

They looked at each other for long moments of silent communication. Accusations, guilt, blame, recriminations – they all faded away.

The Doctor cupped her cheek with his hand and leaned forwards to kiss her. It was reminiscent of their first kiss: beautiful and gentle and kind and loving.

Then Rose flung her arms about him and wept.

* * *

"Well, that worked out well," Jack observed, leaning against the TARDIS and watching his friends embrace.

"I suppose so," Susan nodded. She stood in the doorway, fiddling with the hem of her top. Jack glanced at her.

"What's up?" he wanted to know.

"I just feel like I betrayed Grandma," Susan said softly. "And if I hadn't, I would have betrayed Grandfather."

"He would've found out where she was somehow or other," Jack comforted her. "When Rose is missing, or in danger, or whatever, he doesn't see anything else until she's safe. You just helped him get here faster, that's all." Susan nodded, clearly still unhappy. "Hey. C'mon, give me a smile." She looked up at him. "You're so beautiful when you smile," he said coaxingly.

"Grandfather doesn't like you flirting with me," Susan remarked, a smile playing around her lips.

"Do you mind?" Jack asked, pretending not to be serious.

Susan didn't answer; she looked out at the garden, at where her grandparents were sitting talking quietly to each other.

"Sorry," Jack said suddenly. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

"You have to understand, this is all very strange," Susan said after a moment. "I've never seen my grandparents together – and they're so young. Grandma – Rose – I knew her as an old lady. And Grandfather…"

"I get that," Jack nodded. "This whole situation's got to be really weird for you."

"And I was with this man – David – for several years," Susan continued. "We fought the Daleks, on Earth. He died just a few months ago, from my perspective."

"And me flirting with you upsets you," Jack guessed astutely.

"No – yes – I mean. Oh, I don't know what I mean." Susan sighed and looked properly at him. "I like you," she admitted in a quiet voice. "But I don't know about anything, Jack, and I can't help feeling that there are more important things to worry about. Gallifrey, for one."

"You're right," Jack said slowly. "But if there's one thing travelling with Rose and the Doctor has taught me, it's to take happiness whenever you can find it." He looked across the garden to the bench; the Doctor was kneeling before Rose now, his head resting against his wife's stomach. "And if they can do it," he continued, "everybody should be able to."

"It's not exactly the same though," Susan disagreed. "Grandfather and Rose – they can't not be together. It's not right, for them to be apart."

"Yeah, they're a real Romeo and Juliet couple," Jack nodded. "Susan…"

"It's not about you and me," Susan said determinedly.

"But you want it to be," Jack pressed.

Susan didn't answer. The week spent with Jack and the Doctor in the TARDIS, and her time on Gallifrey – mostly spent with the human – had taught her that she liked Jack, perhaps more than she should. He was an agreeable conversationalist, and a warm and caring individual, despite what he chose to project to the universe.

She had flirted a little with him, but she knew things could never go any further. They just couldn't. She didn't want to think what the Doctor would do. And there were other issues – her family was convoluted enough without adding Jack to the mix. Jack who considered himself to be Rose's sister. It would be like dating her great-uncle.

_Only_, an insidious voice whispered, _he isn't your great-uncle. _

She was shaken out of her thoughts by the approach of Rose and the Doctor.

"Rose!" Jack grinned. "Look at you!" He hugged her and then bent over so his face was level with her stomach. "Hey there, I'm your Uncle Jack," he greeted.

"He can't hear you," Rose said, amused.

"You never know," Jack shrugged. "So you've been here a while, huh?" His gaze went from Rose to the Doctor, and then back. "You okay?"

"Everything's fine," the Doctor said authoritatively, wrapping one arm around Rose's waist. "Let's go say hi to the Brigadier." He looked down at Rose. "And you've probably got some stuff you want to bring," he added.

"A bit, yeah," Rose nodded. "And I need to say goodbye. They've been really nice." She leaned against him.

"I wouldn't have let you go somewhere that wasn't," the Doctor pointed out with smug self-assurance.

"Tell me, was he always this full of it?" Rose asked of Susan. Susan, with a quick glance at the mock-outraged expression on the Doctor's face, nodded.

"Oh yes," she said. "He always has liked to think he's better than everyone else."

"I object," the Doctor grumbled.

"It's true though, Doctor," called the Brigadier. He was approaching the TARDIS leisurely. "You drove more good scientists to nervous breakdowns in your time in UNIT than ever happened again!"

"Brigadier." The Doctor smiled and shook the old soldier's hand. "Sorry I was so, er…"

"Quite alright, Doctor," Alistair dismissed his apology. "Now, are you all going to come in for a cup of tea?"

* * *

They'd had tea and cakes, and Susan had helped Rose pack up the things she'd accumulated over the last few months. Now the Doctor had disappeared into the TARDIS with Susan, and Jack was waiting while Rose said her last goodbye to Doris and Alistair.

"I'll miss you," she admitted to them both. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate you letting me stay."

"It's been a pleasure," Doris said. "Now, you make sure to stay safe. Keep wrapped up, and make sure you eat enough."

"Yes, Doris," Rose said, smiling slightly. "And you take care of Alistair."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," the Brigadier grumbled good-naturedly.

"I know," Rose said, tongue firmly in cheek. "Just…take care, yeah?" She hesitated, then wrapped her arms around him. Alistair, cheeks red, hugged her back.

"Oh, come here," Doris said, and joined the hug. "You look after yourself, you hear me young lady?"

"Yeah," Rose said. She pulled away before she could start crying. "I'd better be off." She turned and held out her hand; Jack took it and led the way towards the TARDIS.

But Rose stopped halfway across the lawn, frowning faintly.

"D'you hear that?" she wanted to know. "It sounds like…" She looked at the TARDIS; it was sitting still. Her eyes widened. "Another TARDIS?"

"C'mon, Rose," Jack urged. "Let's get inside, yeah?"

"There's something wrong," Rose said with certainty. Jack stopped trying to pull her along and turned towards the Doctor's TARDIS.

"Doctor, get out here!" he yelled.

The Doctor appeared at the TARDIS door just as the other TARDIS materialised. It had disguised itself as a shed; the door swung open to reveal a man clothed in black.

"Who the hell are you?" Jack demanded, and then the man shot at him and he collapsed to the ground. Rose screamed; the Doctor started running towards them.

"One more step, Doctor, and I'll shoot her," the man threatened, grabbing Rose by the arm and pointing his weapon at her stomach. Rose's breath caught in her throat. The Doctor's mouth had dropped open, and he was staring at them in sheer disbelief.

"You!" he said incredulously.

"Miss Tyler, you are going to move very slowly," the man instructed her in a low voice. "You are going to drag your friend there into my TARDIS, and you are going to sit down next to the wall, and you are going to do everything else I tell you, or I will shoot at your stomach and kill your baby. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Rose rasped.

"Good. Bend over and grab his arms."

Rose slowly obeyed, eyes flitting from Jack to the Doctor and back again. She took hold of his arms and slowly straightened up.

"Drag him inside," the man directed. He moved slightly, so he was between her and the Doctor. His weapon was pointed at the Doctor now. "You should take better care of your companions, Doctor," he said. "You never know when any of them might disappear from time and space." The Doctor frowned; the man backed into his own TARDIS. A moment later it dematerialised, and the Doctor raced into his own ship.

Rose sat next to Jack, checking his pulse, when the man entered the TARDIS. He approached the console, ignoring her entirely, and set the ship in motion. Rose knew enough to not interrupt him while he was engaged in this – she didn't want to end up crashed into an asteroid.

After long, silent minutes, the TARDIS materialised with a gentle thud. Jack gave a groan, and Rose stood up.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What's going on?"

The man looked at her properly for the first time. He had dark hair and eyes. If the devil had a form, Rose thought idly, this would be it.

"I am the Master," the man said. "I am a Time Lord, and a rival of the Doctor." He glanced at Jack when he moaned. "He will awake soon," he said dismissively. "I presume he is the father of your child? The Doctor would never have taken a pregnant woman aboard before. What's different about you?"

Rose glanced at Jack, thinking quickly.

"I dunno," she said. "We've been travelling with him for a while…since before I got pregnant." She held her hands over her stomach protectively. "What's this all about? What are you doing?"

"Setting a trap, my dear," the Master smirked. "Setting a trap."

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Chapter Five

* * *

"This happens far too often with you two," Jack complained, shortly after regaining consciousness.

He had awoken to find himself in a large room aboard the Master's TARDIS. There was only one exit, and that had no handle on the inside, or visible lock of any kind. The room was furnished with a motley collection of chairs and couches, and on these sat a variety of people. Some were talking quietly, some were staring in bemusement, and one – a robotic creature of some sort – was turning around and around crying 'danger'.

Jack took in all of this in a glance, then turned his attention to Rose.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" he demanded urgently.

"No, I'm fine," Rose said quickly. Jack noted that one of her hands didn't move from her stomach. "He just threatened me, that's all. And the baby." She lowered her head, and her hair fell like a curtain over her face.

"He won't hurt either of you," Jack swore. "I promise, Rose."

"He thinks you're the father," Rose said abruptly. "And he says he's an enemy of the Doctor's, so I thought I should let him…"

Jack nodded. "Good idea." He pushed himself upright and looked around. "Who are these people?"

"No idea," Rose answered quietly. "We've not been in here long." She looked around. "I think…I think they might have travelled with the Doctor," she admitted quietly. "Some of them – I caught some names, and the Doctor's mentioned some of them…"

"Well, let's go introduce ourselves," Jack said. He stood up, and helped Rose to her feet, and went to the nearest group of people – two women, one about Rose's age and the other slightly older – and a young man. The women were sitting close together, holding hands. The man sat opposite them, leaning forwards and talking intently.

"Hey there," Jack greeted. "I'm Captain Jack Harkness, this is Rose."

"I'm Tegan," one of the women said. She had auburn hair and a pronounced Australian accent. "This is Nyssa," indicating the other woman, "and Turlough." Nyssa nodded; Turlough looked them over cautiously.

"So what can you tell us about what's happening?" Jack asked easily.

"What do you want to know?" Nyssa inquired, guarded.

"Why we're all here, for one thing," Jack suggested.

"There's got to be something we all have in common," Rose put in. "I'm just guessing here, but…did you used to travel with the Doctor?" All three of them nodded. "And I'm guessing these others did, too."

"I've met some of them," Turlough offered. "That woman over there, she's Sarah Jane Smith." He jerked his head towards the woman with the robot.

"Right," Jack nodded. "And Rose and I travel with him now." He thought quickly. "First things first, we need to get names."

"And find out which Doctor they travelled with," Rose put in.

"Ours was the fifth regeneration," Tegan told them. She glanced at Rose's stomach. "Are you alright? He didn't hurt the baby, did he?"

"No, I'm fine," Rose assured her. "Jack, you take that side of the room, and I'll take this," she told him, and moved towards the woman with the robot.

"Danger!" the robot declared as Rose approached.

"It's alright, K-9," the woman – Sarah Jane, if Turlough was correct – told the dog. She gave a hesitant smile to Rose. "Hello."

"Hi," Rose smiled faintly. "It's Sarah Jane, right? I'm Rose."

"Yes, that's right," Sarah nodded. "The Master brought you here too?"

Rose nodded. "Jack and I are gonna get everybody's names, find out which Doctor they travelled with," she explained. "Hopefully then we can come up with some sort of plan to get us out of here." She looked down at the dog. "What's this?"

"K-9 – the Doctor built him," Sarah said, with a wry smile. Rose's eyebrows shot up. "I worked with the Doctor…I think he said it was his third body? And then he changed. So his fourth, as well."

"I'm with the ninth," Rose said. "You just…stay put, yeah?"

"I could help," Sarah offered, but Rose shook her head.

"It'd just get confusing," she pointed out. "That guy over there – Turlough? He said you've met. Why don't you go sit with them?"

She moved on, not waiting to see if Sarah Jane did as she suggested. A man and a woman – possibly a couple, Rose assessed – were sitting in one corner of the room.

"Hi, I'm Rose," she greeted.

"Ian Chesterton," the man introduced himself.

"Barbara Wright," the woman said, with a smile. "I don't suppose _you_ know what's going on?"

"You travelled with the Doctor, right?" Rose asked, instead of answering. The couple exchanged a guarded look. "It's alright, so do I," she added. "Everyone here has, I figured." She looked them over closely. "How long have you been here?"

"Not long," Ian said. "A few hours – you and your friend there arrived not too long after we did."

"Right." Rose took another look around the room. "So which Doctor did you travel with?"

"Excuse me?" Barbara said, frowning faintly. "I'm not sure I follow…"

"What does the Doctor look like?" Rose asked, taking a different tack.

"Well, he's…an old man," Ian said, confused. "White hair, uses a stick. Has a granddaughter called Susan."

"I've met Susan," Rose nodded, smiling. "She's lovely, isn't she?"

"Yes – she was a student of ours," Barbara offered. "Listen, do you know what's going on?"

"An enemy of the Doctor's has us," Rose said succinctly. "I think he's trying to trap the Doctor. We've all travelled with the Doctor at one point or another, so I think he's trying to get at the Doctor emotionally."

"Psychological warfare," Ian nodded. "It can be very effective."

"Yeah, you have no idea," Rose muttered. "Anyway, are you two alright? Jack and me are getting names, and then we're gonna think up a plan."

"I'm sure you should be resting," Barbara said, slightly hesitantly.

"I'm fine," Rose said, slightly irritably, and left them as she caught sight of someone very familiar.

"Ace," she pronounced.

Ace – older than she had been when Rose had met her – looked up. She'd been sitting in the centre of the room, sulking slightly.

"Do I know you?" she demanded.

"No, not really," Rose said, with a smile. "We met once, but you won't remember. You travelled with the Doctor, yes? The one with the umbrella. The Defender of Time."

"Yes, that's right," Ace nodded. "The rest of this lot travelled with the Professor too, didn't they?" Rose looked slightly startled. "I'm not stupid," the older companion added.

"Right," Rose said. "D'you have any nitro-nine, or did the Master take it?"

"Took my bag," Ace confirmed. "He's done his research, this one, hasn't he?"

"Oh yes," Rose said grimly. "But not enough of it."

* * *

Susan watched in alarm as the Doctor slammed the TARDIS door shut, strode to the console, and started the dematerialisation sequence.

"Grandfather, what's wrong?" she asked. "Where are Jack and Rose?"

"The Master has them," the Doctor answered grimly. "You met him, in the Death Zone on Gallifrey."

"I remember," Susan nodded, eyes wide.

"I thought he was dead – I saw him die!" the Doctor exploded, bashing the console in anger.

"But all of Gallifrey was gone," Susan pointed out. "Surely he would have come back when Rose brought back Gallifrey."

The Doctor shook his head. "No, he died before the war." He paused, hand hovering over a dial, and looked up at her. "I have absolutely no idea how he's alive," he said truthfully. "And in this form. But I know one thing."

"He's got Rose, and you're getting her back."

"Fast as I can."

"Will he hurt them?" Susan demanded. The Doctor's hands were flying over the console again; Susan clung on as the ship rocketed through time and space.

"Yes," he answered bluntly. "He'll do anything to get to me." He glanced up at her. "You gonna help, then?"

Flying a TARDIS was like riding a bicycle for a Gallifreyan; once the skill and knowledge had been learned, it was very hard to forget. Susan helped her grandfather with alacrity.

"We're chasing him," the Doctor told her, although she could already tell that from the displays on the console. "Following the trail his TARDIS is leaving – it's leaking energy all over the place. What's he up to?" He frowned even more. "And what he said…" He shook his head and pulled a lever.

"What did he say?" Susan asked. The Doctor disappeared from sight under the console for a moment; sparks flew, and he reappeared.

"About losing companions from time and space," he said. "If I know the Master – and I do, far too well – he's gone after my previous companions."

"What, all of them?" Susan demanded, startled.

"He can't have had time – Gallifrey's not been back long – and he wouldn't be able to find all of them." The Doctor uttered a long stream of curses as the TARDIS let out a screech of protest at something. "C'mon, girl," he coaxed.

"What are we going to do?" Susan asked, hitting a button just as it lit up.

"Find them, of course," came the terse reply.

"But I mean – " Susan broke off as the TARDIS lurched first one way, then the other. "You can't just storm into his TARDIS," she continued after the ship settled slightly. "He'll hurt them."

"He wouldn't think twice about killing them," the Doctor agreed. "But we've got an advantage."

"We do?" Susan demanded quizzically as the ship started the materialisation sequence.

"We've got Rose," the Doctor said with a manic grin.

* * *

Rose sat down heavily.

"He's a bastard," she grumbled. "Can't even provide a loo!" Jack, leaning on her chair, tried very hard not to smirk. She caught his expression. "Well, you try having this little thing kicking at your bladder all the time," she suggested.

"Uh, no thanks," Jack said hurriedly. "So, they've all travelled with the Doctor, right?"

"Right," Rose nodded. "I got some from the first regeneration, the third and fourth, and the seventh. How about you?"

"Two from the third," Jack informed her. "One from the first. And one doesn't know anything about it – I think he's had a memory wipe. Jamie, from Scotland." He winked at her. "Nice guy."

"What would Susan say if she caught you flirting?" Rose murmured. Jack raised an eyebrow at her and wisely said nothing. "Right. So let's start planning."

"No one has any weapons," Jack said. "Some of these people aren't going to be a lot of help."

"But some will," Rose pointed out. "Ace can take care of herself, and Tegan looks like she can give a good fight. So that's four of us. Four of us can take out one guy, even if he is a Time Lord."

"Woah, hold on," Jack said. He moved to stand in front of her. "You're not saying that you're going to be helping us disable the Master?" Rose nodded simply. "No way. Not a chance in hell, Rose."

"Jack's right."

Rose and Jack both turned to see Nyssa standing there, a determined look on her face.

"You can't get into a physical fight with the Master, it would put you and the baby at far too much risk," she continued. "The Master won't hesitate to use your pregnancy against us all, and against the Doctor." Rose flinched and looked away. "Please," Nyssa added. "I know the Master. The body he is in – he stole it from my father. Let me help."

"Alright," Jack nodded. "Sure, if you think you can cope with it."

"I've coped with a lot more," Nyssa said determinedly. "I lost my home due to the Master."

Rose lifted her head and looked straight at Nyssa. "Traken," she said softly. "You come from Traken."

"Yes," Nyssa said slowly. "How did you know that?" Jack frowned down at Rose thoughtfully. Rose gave a shrug. "Traken was destroyed some time ago, by my timeline. Several years, in fact," Nyssa added.

"I'm a bit different," Rose said with another awkward shrug. "It's not important."

"It might be," Jack said under his breath. Rose glanced at him, frowning faintly, then looked at Nyssa again.

"I don't think we should do anything yet," Nyssa suggested. "We might help him without meaning to."

"I agree," Jack nodded. Rose murmured her consent. "Until we know what's going on, we can't stop him."

"I've got an idea," Rose said suddenly.

"Oh no," Jack muttered.

"Oi! Cheeky!" Rose flashed him a grin. "I have good plans."

"Sure," Jack nodded. "You have good plans like the Doctor wears Hawaii shirts." Rose reached out and poked him. "I'm sorry. But if it's anything that'll put you or the baby at risk, I'm not even going to let you finish."

"There's something I learned how to do," Rose began. "While I was staying with the Brigadier."

"The Brigadier?" Nyssa said, startled. "On Earth? Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart?"

"Yes – it's a long story," Rose grinned. "Anyway. I can do this thing – it's to do with Bad Wolf."

"Bad Wolf?" Nyssa repeated curiously.

"Even longer story," Jack grimaced. "What can you do, Rose?"

"I can manipulate time."

Nyssa and Jack stared at her.

"Just on a small-scale level," Rose added hurriedly. "Like Time Lords could manipulate time around themselves – slow down rain, or speed up the growth of a plant that they were touching. Things like that."

"And you can do this?" Jack said slowly.

"But you're not Gallifreyan," Nyssa said, frowning. "Are you?"

"No, I'm…human," Rose said haltingly. "It's really, really complicated."

"I see," Nyssa said slowly. "Well…how can this help?"

"Directly? Not at all," Rose told her.

"But indirectly," Jack thought aloud, "you could seriously distract this guy."

"Exactly," Rose grinned. She looked, Jack thought, scarily like the Doctor in that moment.

"But wouldn't he know that's what you're doing?" Nyssa wanted to know. "He's a Time Lord, won't he be able to tell that you're manipulating time."

"The only way anyone can tell when I'm manipulating time is when I let them see it," Rose said bluntly. "Do you need a demonstration?"

"I don't know about need, but I'd like to see this," Jack nodded.

"Okay. Um." Rose dug in her pockets for a moment, and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. She smoothed it out and held it on her palm. "Watch," she instructed.

For a long moment nothing seemed to happen. Rose stared intently at the paper, utterly still. She scarcely seemed to breathe. The silence spread throughout the room, and the other companions were drawn to watch.

Minutes passed. Rose's lips parted very, very slowly. Time itself seemed to stop.

Then suddenly time resumed its natural course. Rose started breathing again. The piece of paper in her hand was yellowed with age, the edges curling. The scrawl of Rose's handwriting on it had faded. Jack reached out to touch it wonderingly, and it fell apart at his touch.

"Cheap paper," Rose said with a smile. "Couldn't do that with Egyptian papyrus."

"What was that?" demanded one of the other companions – Jo Grant. "One minute it was there, and the next…"

"It aged," Turlough observed. "I saw the Doctor do that once."

"But you're not a Time Lord," Tegan protested.

"No," Rose shook her head. "I'm not."

"Then how is that possible?" Sarah Jane asked.

"Are you saying the Doctor can do this?" Ian wanted to know. "It's against the laws of physics!"

"Not by the Doctor's standards," Ace told him with a grin. "The Master'll never expect this!"

Rose smiled slightly, then covered her hand with her mouth.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said faintly. A moment later she threw up over Jack.

* * *

"You like him."

Susan looked up from reading something on the monitor. "Grandfather?" she questioned.

"You like Jack," the Doctor said. He was on the other side of the console, punching something in on his keyboard.

"Grandfather, I really don't think this is the time," Susan said hesitantly.

"There's no better time," the Doctor contradicted. "We're not going to do anything until the Master makes a move – I'm not going to put Rose at risk like that. And while we wait, you can tell me what's going on with you and Jack."

"Nothing," Susan claimed.

He shot her a withering look. "Susan, please. We've been in the same TARDIS for a week. I've seen you looking at him." He shrugged. "Don't blame you. He's an attractive guy, charming." He looked away from her. "It's not the smart thing to do, though."

"Oh, and I suppose marrying Rose was the smart thing to do, was it?" Susan demanded tartly. "Please, Grandfather. You're hardly one to talk about the smart thing to do – and I'm not a child any longer."

The Doctor gave a tight smile. "I know that, Susan." He sighed. "It's been centuries since I saw you last," he said, more to himself than to her. "I've walked into the jaws of Death and out in those years. I was left alone. And then I met Rose."

Susan watched him as for a moment he seemed lost in memories.

"Everything changed after that," he murmured. "Rose…she opened my eyes."

"Love does that," Susan offered. "It makes you see things in a completely different way."

"What if that love shouldn't be?"

"Morality is a matter of perspective," Susan pointed out. "You taught me that, Grandfather." She moved around the console and rested a hand lightly on his arm. "Grandfather – is this about Jack and I, or you and Rose?"

He stiffened. "I don't know what you mean," he claimed, not looking at her.

"What I mean is," Susan said slowly, "are you concerned for me and Jack, or do you think you and Rose are better off apart?"

"No," the Doctor said instantly. "No, I've learned that lesson!"

"Then why are you so determined about this?"

"Because you're my granddaughter, and I won't let you get hurt," he snapped. "Look, he's coming out of his TARDIS."

Susan looked down at the display screen, and sighed internally. "Yes," she agreed. "So what are we going to do?"

"I have absolutely no idea," the Doctor muttered. He watched the dark figure as he walked around his TARDIS, and then re-entered it.

* * *

To be continued. 


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

Notes 3: So, so sorry for the delay! I've been battling chronic fatigue syndrome and A levels. I am now writing again, and the next chapter will be up within the next few days. Be assured, I have not and will not be abandoning this fic. I know what's happening, I know what's going to be happening, there will be at least another fic to the 'Domestic' saga.

* * *

Chapter Six

* * *

"Help! Hey, we need some medical attention here!" Jack yelled. Rose lay on the ground, head cushioned on his jacket. She was pale and shaking, her eyes closed.

Ace was banging on the door, her fists thudding uselessly against the metal. "Hey!" she called out. "Hey, c'mon! Help us!"

"He must be monitoring us somehow," Sarah Jane said, from the other side of the room. She was keeping an eye on Jamie, the companion who didn't remember the Doctor. "He has to be – he kept pumping drugs into the air. Why doesn't he come?"

"He's an unfeeling creature," Tegan snapped, running a hand through her hair. "I don't think he even has a heart!"

"He's got two," Nyssa reminded her. She held Rose's hand tightly. "She's burning up – I don't understand it," she said quietly to Jack. "If she gets much hotter, it could be very dangerous." She wondered briefly whether it was a reaction to the remnants of the soporific gas in the air of the room, then dismissed the thought.

"I know," Jack muttered. "Keep trying," he ordered Ace. "You – Ian – help her!" Ian and Turlough joined Ace, trying to batter the door open. "Dammit, Rose, hold on," he urged her.

"Come on," Ace yelled through the door again. "She's sick!"

Rose's eyes opened; Jack sucked in a breath at the sight. Gold light shone from her eyes and submerged her pupils. It made her skin seem even paler.

"Rose, what've you done?" he asked in a murmur. She gazed unseeing at him, and clutched at something in the air.

The door slid open with a faint hiss; Ace and the others stumbled back in surprise as the Master swept in. The door closed behind him.

"What," he began icily, "is going on here?" His eyes swept the room and landed on Rose. "What is the matter with her?" he demanded.

"I don't know – she's got a fever," Jack said hurriedly. "Please, you've got to help her."

"I don't have to do anything," the Time Lord retorted. His gaze moved to Nyssa. "You. What's happening to the girl?"

"I don't know," Nyssa said, echoing Jack. "Her temperature has elevated dangerously quickly. Other than that, I can't tell without proper diagnostic equipment." Rose clutched her hand tightly, and Nyssa glanced down at her and then looked back at the Master. "Please, this could be damaging the baby."

The Master hesitated for a moment, then nodded curtly. "You, Nyssa, will bring Miss Tyler into my medical facility. The rest of you will stay here."

"I'm not leaving Rose," Jack said, standing up.

"You have no choice," the Master retorted. "If you want her to be examined, you will remain here. I can just as easily leave her to die."

"He'll do it, too," Tegan said, mouth twisted in disgust. "Jack, do as he says. Nyssa'll look after her."

"I can't carry her," Nyssa said, releasing Rose's hand and standing up. "I'll need help."

The Master glanced around the room. "You – help her," he directed, pointing at Jo Grant. Together Jo and Nyssa managed to carefully pick Rose up. "I warn you," he continued, addressing the room in general, "don't try anything foolish. You will be returned to your correct time and place when I have done with you."

"As if we can believe you," Turlough retorted.

"Please," Jack said, following Nyssa to the door. "Take care of her."

"I'll do my best," the woman promised. "Be careful, Jack."

The Master opened the door with a device on his wrist; Nyssa and Jo stepped through, Rose carried between them. The door closed behind the Master, shutting the companions, past and current, into the room again.

The Master remained with Nyssa and Jo as the former tackled the Time Lord's diagnostic equipment in an attempt to discover what was wrong with Rose. The pregnant time traveller lay unconscious on the one bed in the medical facility, a sterile white room. Jo stood near her head, hovering nervously. Nyssa worked, trying to ignore the Master.

Finally she managed to set a hand-held scanner to human parameters, and moved it through the air above Rose's body. She frowned faintly, pressed a button, and tried again.

"This doesn't make sense," she murmured.

"What is it?" the Master demanded from his position near the doorway.

"She's human," Nyssa said, thinking aloud. "But there are some strange readings…"

"We need to do something to bring her temperature down," Jo put in. "She's burning up." She looked at Nyssa anxiously. "Cold water?"

"That won't make much of a difference at this point," Nyssa replied. "But it can't hurt." She turned to the Master, one eyebrow raised imperiously. "Towels and water?"

The Master indicated a cupboard; Jo opened it to reveal towels and a basin. She soaked a towel with cold water, squeezed out the excess, and went to pat Rose down.

"I don't know why she's so pale – she should be red and sweating, with a fever this high," Nyssa muttered, reading the display on the diagnostic scanner. "This doesn't make any sense. I've never seen anything like this before!" She abandoned the scanner and turned to the Master. "I need Jack Harkness," she told him. "He knows Rose – he must be able to help me."

"You will work with what you are given, Nyssa of Traken," the Master told her icily. "Get a move on."

"It's not that simple," Nyssa muttered, turning away from him. She checked Rose's pulse, counting silently, then picked up the scanner again. "Perhaps…" She changed the input parameters, and her eyes widened. "But she said – "

"What is it?" Jo demanded, still patting Rose's exposed skin with the wet towel.

"I've altered the scanner's parameters," Nyssa explained. "I had what the Doctor would call a hunch." She looked down at Rose. "She reads as both a human and a Gallifreyan."

The Master suddenly became very interested. He crossed the room to stand at the foot of the bed. "Gallifreyan?" he demanded. "Impossible."

"I'm telling you, that's what the scanner is indicating," Nyssa said, trying to hold back her anger. "I can't tell you anything else without some more sophisticated technology."

"Wake her up," the Master ordered.

"It's not safe," Nyssa protested.

"Do it," he snapped. Jo looked between them, then shook Rose's shoulders gently.

"Rose," she said softly. "Rose, come on, wake up." Rose moaned slightly. "Yes, that's right. Come on." Nyssa went to get some more damp towels as Rose's eyes flickered open.

"Where am I?" Rose demanded after a moment. Her voice was hoarse. All gold was gone from her eyes. She sat up slowly, brushing away the hands that moved to stop her. "What's happening?"

"Don't you remember?" Jo demanded. "You fainted, Rose."

"Her temperature's going down," Nyssa reported, moving the scanner over Rose. "It's back to a safe level."

"What?" Rose said groggily. "Did I have a fever or something?" She looked around. "Where's Jack?" she demanded.

"He's back with the others," Jo told her. "We're in a medical bay of some sort."

Rose looked up at Nyssa, eyes wide. "Is the baby alright?" she asked urgently. "Nothing's happened to it?"

"The baby seems fine," Nyssa assured her. "Do you remember anything that happened, Rose?"

"What are you?" the Master demanded before Rose could do anything but open her mouth to answer.

"Animal, vegetable or mineral," Rose retorted after a moment. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and rubbed a hand over her swollen stomach. "God, he's busy in there," she muttered. "Is there any water?" she wanted to know.

"No," the Master rapped out. "What are you, girl?"

"I'm a mother," Rose answered, closing her eyes briefly.

"What species?"

"Human, originally." Rose opened her eyes and looked straight at him. "It's nothing to you, Time Lord. It's none of your business. You shouldn't have messed with me."

"Is that a threat?" he wanted to know.

"No, it's a statement," Rose said with a faint smile. Then she frowned. "I think something's wrong," she said flatly. "The baby…" She gave a moan and then bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

"What's going on?" Jo asked nervously.

"I think…" Nyssa began, then trailed off and pressed a combination of buttons on the scanner. She shook her head incredulously. "Impossible. Rose, how far along are you?"

"Six months, I think," Rose said. "Don't tell me I'm in labour."

"You're having the baby now?" the Master demanded, an expression of utter distaste on his face. "Impossible."

"I don't feel like I'm in labour," Rose said worriedly. "Isn't it supposed to hurt?"

"Not initially," Nyssa said. "But if the baby's born now…" She cast a horrified look at the Master. "it would need intensive medical attention, and I'm not trained in paediatric medicine."

"But it's not due yet," Rose said, eyes wide. "It's not due for at least two months – more than that!"

"But temporally –," Nyssa cut herself off abruptly and glanced again at the Master.

"What," he said in a dangerous voice, "is going on here?"

* * *

There were two things wrong with this plan, as far as Jack could tell. The first problem was that it involved breaking down the metal door. The second problem was that the Master would know exactly what they had done.

But they had no other options, and Jack wasn't going to let Rose be sick here, with the Master. He needed to get her back to the Doctor, and fast. From what the others had told him, the Master was using a kind of sleeping gas to keep them under control – and he didn't want to think what that would do to Rose and the baby.

They'd fashioned a crude battering ram out of the chairs in the room, and the door was looking a little skewed already.

"Keep going," Jack ordered. "On three – one, two – three!" They heaved the battering ram at the door. "Again, on three! One, two, three!"

"This isn't going to work," Barbara said worriedly. "Surely he'll hear."

"That's not terribly helpful, Barbara," Ian said, his words clipped with breathlessness.

"On three," Jack said loudly, cutting across them. "One – two – three!"

The battering ram hit the metal again and promptly fell apart. The people holding it fell back – a couple fell over. Jack was on his feet and at the door within seconds.

The metal had caved. Not by much, but enough for Jack to slip his hand into the gap and push the door open.

"Right," he said, turning back to the group. "We need to get you out of here, as fast as possible. Does anyone know the way to the control room?"

"I think I remember," Sarah Jane offered. "But – aren't you coming too?"

"I can't leave Rose," Jack said, shaking his head. "And Nyssa and Jo are still in here. No, I'm staying put. But listen, the Doctor will have followed us here – if we're lucky, he'll be out there somewhere, in the TARDIS. Find him, get inside the TARDIS, and tell him what's going on. Alright?" He looked around at everyone. "Everyone understood?"

"I'm staying," Ace said, a determined look on her face. "You'll need some help. We might be able to find my bag – I've got explosives in there."

"Alright," Jack conceded after a moment. "But no-one else," he added sternly as Tegan opened her mouth. "You need to get out and find the Doctor." He gripped Sarah's shoulder. "You're sure you know how to get out?" he demanded.

"Yes – and K-9 will remember." She looked down at the robot, never far from her. "K-9?"

"Affirmative, Mistress," the robot beeped. "Follow me." He wheeled through the doorway, Sarah following him. Jack nodded at everyone as they followed suit – Ian, Barbara, Tegan, Jamie, Turlough, Vicki and Liz. Finally, when they were all gone, he turned to Ace.

"We'd better find your bag," he said. "And then we've got to find Rose."

"And keep out of the Master's way," Ace suggested. "I'm all for blowing him up, but not while he's got Rose."

"Agreed," Jack nodded. "Let's go."

K-9 proved true as always; he led the former companions to the control room of the Master's TARDIS. Turlough hovered over the controls for a moment.

"Turlough, come on," Tegan said impatiently. "You can't mess about with it, not with Nyssa and the others still in here!"

"Oh, alright," Turlough conceded. He checked a readout. "It's breathable atmosphere," he reported, and pulled a lever to open the doors.

"We'd better stick together," Jamie suggested.

"Good idea," Ian nodded. "Come on, then." He exited the TARDIS and looked around him. "It's hot," was his first thought.

"Very hot," Liz Shaw agreed.

"It reminds me of home," Vicki observed quietly. Tegan gave her a warm smile. "Look – isn't that the TARDIS?" She pointed at a distant hill. A speck of blue was starkly visible against the yellow sands of the desert they had found themselves in.

"It could be," Sarah said cautiously. "K-9, can you see?"

"Affirmative, Mistress. It is the TARDIS," the robot confirmed. "It is estimated that it will take two hours to reach the TARDIS on foot."

"That's a long time," Tegan said worriedly. "Jack and Ace won't be able to distract the Master for that long."

"Suggestion: I can go ahead," K-9 beeped.

"Can you get there faster?" Liz wanted to know.

"Affirmative."

"Go on, then, K-9," Sarah ordered. "Tell the Doctor what's happening, and that we're on our way."

K-9 departed as fast as his wheels could take him. The group of companions followed him at a much slower pace.

* * *

Susan sighed and watched her grandfather pace about. He was clearly torn with indecision, but she couldn't help him. Every time she suggested anything, he came up with half a dozen reasons for why it wouldn't work.

She'd never seen him this frantic with worry.

"Grandfather, we have to do something soon," she spoke up after long minutes of silence, broken only by the gentle hum of the TARDIS engines. "Rose and Jack – "

"I know, Susan," the Doctor snapped. "I'm thinking."

"You've been thinking for a while," she pointed out gently.

"I know," the Doctor muttered, and collapsed into the chair. "I don't know what to do."

"I – " Susan cut herself off, frowning faintly. "Do you hear something?"

"Yes," the Doctor said after a moment. He sprang up and crossed the control room to the TARDIS door. He flung it open – and stopped, blinking stupidly.

"K-9?" he said, almost tentatively, after a long moment.

"My sensors indicate you are the Doctor," the robotic dog said. "Please confirm."

"Yeah – you – what's going on?" the Doctor demanded.

"My Mistress sent me ahead to give you information," K-9 beeped.

"Mistress – Sarah Jane?" The Doctor rubbed a hand over his face. "Bloody hell. Right. In you come, then."

"Affirmative," said the robot, and wheeled into the TARDIS. The Doctor scanned the horizon; he could see the Master's TARDIS, still in the same place on a far-off dune, and a dark blob of what he assumed were people. Sarah Jane. And others, but who?

He shrugged. He'd find out soon enough, and whether Rose was with them.

If she wasn't…

He refused to think about that. He closed the door and turned around.

"K-9, this is my granddaughter," he said. "Susan, this is K-9. I made him, few hundred years back."

Susan crossed the room and inspected the robot. "Interesting."

"I bring news from my Mistress," K-9 said.

"Is Rose alright? Have you seen her?" the Doctor demanded quickly.

"Affirmative," the robot said. "Rose Tyler, female, pregnant. She collapsed and was taken for treatment by Jo Grant and Nyssa of Traken."

"Jo and Nyssa?" the Doctor repeated strangely. "Rose collapsed?"

"Her temperature was elevated," K-9 replied.

"What about Jack?" Susan asked. "Was Jack there too?"

"Captain Jack Harkness was present," K-9 confirmed.

"Who else?" the Doctor demanded, crossing to the console. His fingers skittered over the keyboard. "Who else does the Master have, K-9? Sarah, Jo, Nyssa…"

"The Master currently has three people in his custody," K-9 said. "Rose Tyler, Jo Grant, and Nyssa of Traken. Captain Harkness and Ace are in his TARDIS."

The Doctor looked up quickly. "In his TARDIS – but not his prisoners? They escaped?"

"Affirmative. My Mistress is on her way here with others." K-9's ears rotated. "Liz Shaw, Vislor Turlough, Jamie McCrimmon, Vicki, Tegan Jovanka, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright."

"Ian and Barbara?" Susan repeated with a slight smile. "How wonderful."

"Not really," the Doctor contradicted. "How was he controlling them, K-9? I can't picture Ace and Sarah sitting still for too long without trying to escape."

"A sleeping gas was pumped into the room at six hour intervals," K-9 reported. "This was omitted when the Master took Rose Tyler, Jo Grant and Nyssa of Traken to the medical bay."

"And they took advantage of it," the Doctor nodded. "Right. We'll wait for them to get here, then I'll hop the TARDIS over there. It's time I had a chat with the Master."

* * *

To be continued...sooner rather than later!


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine.Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Chapter Seven

* * *

"Susan!"

Susan looked up with a wide smile. "Barbara! Ian!" She almost tripped across the control room and hugged her former teachers. "It's so good to see you!" She smiled at the other former companions. "Hello," she said. "I'm Susan."

"We met – on Gallifrey," Tegan offered, and beside her Turlough nodded.

"Oh, yes." Susan turned to her grandfather, and her smile froze on her face. The Doctor was facing away from the door, utterly still. "Grandfather?" she ventured after a moment, cautious. She'd learned the moods of this regeneration well.

The Doctor turned, not a trace of a smile in his expression. "Hello, all," he said with a brief nod.

There was a strange kind of silence for a moment in the TARDIS control room, then Sarah Jane moved forward.

"Doctor," she said, not quite questioningly but unsure.

"Sarah," he said, and now he did smile faintly, at the only companion who had not chosen to leave him. "It's been years." He narrowed the gap between them and hugged her tight. Startled, she responded, then withdrew and gazed at him open-mouthed.

"You've regenerated again," she said softly.

"Few times," he nodded, avoiding the accusation in her eyes.

"Regeneration?" Ian demanded. "What – I don't understand."

"Long story," the Doctor said with a grimace. "All you need to know right now is that I'm the Doctor." He looked over the others. "Liz, Tegan," he nodded. "Vicki." He shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. "Quite the reunion."

"This – this was a box," Jamie observed. "It's a lot bigger on the inside."

"It's alright, mate, I'll get you back home as soon as I can," the Doctor told him, uncharacteristically gentle with the man whose memories had been wiped because of him. "Don't worry about it." He turned to Susan. "Why don't you take them all in to the kitchen or something, yeah? Make a pot of tea." And keep them out of the way, he added silently. Susan nodded, receiving both messages.

"Alright," she said. "Come on, everyone. Barbara, what have you and Ian been up to?" Chattering away, she led the companions further into the TARDIS – all but Sarah and Tegan, who the Doctor stopped.

"What's going on, Doctor?" Tegan demanded. "The Master wants you, obviously, but –"

"It's a rather long story, Tegan, and I don't really have time," the Doctor interrupted her impatiently. "I need some information, and I need it quick. Are you two gonna help me or what?"

"Of course we'll help you," Sarah said testily. "You know better than that, Doctor." He had the decency to look slightly ashamed. "What do you need to know?"

"The Master – he's got Rose, Jo and Nyssa, right?"

"Yes – Rose had a fever." Tegan frowned thoughtfully. "That was a bit weird – she just suddenly got sick after she did that thing with the paper."

"What thing with the paper?" the Doctor demanded urgently. "Did she manipulate time?" The former companions both nodded. He swore and turned away from them. "No wonder she got sick – to be doing that inside a TARDIS, that heavily pregnant…"

"Doctor, who is she?" Sarah asked softly. "She's not human."

"She used to be," the Doctor said briefly. He leaned on the console and watched text swirl gently on the screen. He ignored the message.

"And now?" Sarah pressed.

"Who knows?" the Doctor muttered. "I don't think even she does."

"Who is she to you?" Tegan asked astutely, coming closer to him and touching his arm lightly.

The Doctor was silent for long moments, so long that Tegan stepped back, almost afraid. Sarah looked from one to the other, and reached out to pull Tegan away.

"She's everything," the Time Lord said at last in a low, unsteady voice. "She's my other half. I love her. She's my wife. She's carrying my child." He straightened and turned back to face them. "And I will tear his ship apart if I have to. There's nothing in this universe that can keep me from her."

* * *

"I can't be in labour!" Rose said frantically, trying to sit up. "Nyssa, you've got to be wrong."

"Your waters have broken," Nyssa soothed. "There's nothing we can do now but wait. The contractions have started." She pushed gently on Rose's shoulders, making her lie down again.

"This is unacceptable," the Master snapped from his position near the door.

"Well, you'll just have to accept it!" Jo cried, furious with him. "There's nothing you can do to stop nature happening!" She dipped her towel into the bowl of water next to her, and pressed it against Rose's forehead. "It'll be alright," she promised. "I've done this, there's nothing to it, honest."

"I'm not due for another two months," Rose said wildly. "This is impossible." Her hands pressed against her stomach, as though she could keep her child in.

"Very little is truly impossible," Nyssa reminded her. "You know that – we all learnt it, travelling with the Doctor." The Master snorted; she shot him a quelling look.

"I can't be giving birth here," Rose protested, throwing a dirty glance at the Master. "I just can't – he's got to be there when I have the baby!"

"Jack, you mean?" Jo asked.

"He will remain where he is," the Master said sharply. "You – Nyssa – I have no intention of harming the woman or the child. What does she require?"

"Blankets, hot water, pain relief – and time," Nyssa answered. "There's no rushing childbirth." She appraised him coolly. "Not even a Time Lord can do that."

"Oh god, here's another one," Rose moaned, and gripped Jo's hand tight. "I'm going to kill someone if he's not here for the birth!"

"Threats are worthless from someone in your position," the Master told her, sneering.

"I'm not threatening, I'm promising," Rose snapped, pushing herself up so that she was sitting upright. She glared at the Master. "Listen to me. You seriously don't want to mess with me, Time Lord. You get the Doctor here, and you get him here now or I won't be responsible!"

The Master took a step towards her. "The Doctor?" he demanded. "He's the father?" Rose didn't answer him. "But how – "

"You need a lecture on the birds and the bees?" Rose said incredulously. "And you're how old?" Annoyance flashed across the Master's face and he stepped forward, hand raised as though to strike her.

Nyssa stepped between them.

"If you lay a finger on her," she said, voice shaking, "I'll kill you myself." She stared up at him, defying the man with her father's face, and after a moment he moved away.

"Yes, it's the Doctor's child," Rose said after a moment, breathing deeply. "It's not due for two months. I'm human, or I used to be. The Doctor's going to rip you into shreds for taking me. Get all that, or do you need drawings?"

"Rose, keep calm," Jo instructed. "You'll need all your strength later."

"I've got more strength than most," Rose said simply. She clutched at something hanging from a chain around her neck – the Master recognised it as a TARDIS key. "God, this is all my fault," she groaned.

"So you made him sleep with you, did you?" Jo demanded tartly. "Come on, Rose, don't be like that." She looked up at Nyssa. "The contractions – they shouldn't be this close together already, surely?"

"I don't know," Nyssa murmured. "I didn't study human biology in great detail – I just don't know." She rounded the examination table and took Rose's pulse. "I don't like this."

"Neither do I," Rose grimaced. She glared again at the Master. "What's all this about then?"

The Master raised an eyebrow. "You think I will tell you, the Doctor's lover?" His tone was faintly incredulous. "You are either very naïve, or very stupid."

"I'm very pissed off," Rose said matter-of-factly. "Tell me."

There was something in her words, or it might have been the golden light that seemed to shine from her eyes, but for once the Master chose to relent.

"I felt it – the temporal distortion," he began. "Something happened, something that should never have been allowed to happen. I shouldn't have felt it – I was dead."

"The whole planet was dead," Rose snapped impatiently. "What's so different about you?"

"I was killed before," the Master said calmly. "Killed by the Doctor, and my own stupidity. I was not even in this body then. So you will understand my surprise at finding that not only could I feel the temporal distortion, but that I was being pulled into it." He raised an eyebrow. "To be brought back to life was highly unexpected."

Rose frowned, then moaned as another contraction hit her.

"Are they getting closer?" Jo demanded of Nyssa quietly. The other woman shrugged.

"But you shouldn't have been brought back then," Rose managed at last. "If you weren't around when Gallifrey was destroyed – how could you have come back? Bad Wolf wouldn't have –" She cut herself off abruptly.

"Bad Wolf," the Master repeated oddly. "There are legends in a hundred solar systems about Bad Wolf. How does it relate to Gallifrey and you?"

"It's a long story," the human retorted. "And I'm not going to tell you!" She flung her head back, riding out another contraction. "Nyssa – how soon?" she demanded.

"Soon," Nyssa said worriedly. "Far, far too soon."

* * *

"That's my foot, you moron!"

"What the hell's a moron?"

"What are you, retarded or something?"

"It's not a word we use where I come from!"

Grumbling, Ace pushed open a door and blinked as the light hit her eyes. Jack stumbled after her, barely avoiding a collision as Ace stopped with a pleased exclamation.

"Ace! My bag!"

"So there's weapons in there?" Jack tried to clarify, stepping around her to make sure there was no immediate threat in the room. "What kind?"

"Nitro-nine," Ace said with relish, pulling what looked like a can of deodorant out of the rucksack and handing it to him. "Massive explosion – the fuses sometimes go a bit wrong though." She grinned at Jack. "And don't shake them around!"

He returned the can hastily. "Right. Thanks for the warning. Anything else?"

"Nah – we won't need anything else," she told him confidently. "This'll be enough to blow up part of the TARDIS."

"Not anything to do with life support systems, I hope," Jack muttered, looking slightly worried. "We don't want to kill ourselves, and Rose into the bargain."

"If it's anything like the Professor's TARDIS, the life support will be in the main console," Ace shook her head. "So we should be fine."

"The Professor?" Jack queried, moving to the other door in the room and cautiously opening it.

"S'what I call the Doctor. Anything?" She joined Jack at the doorway. "Anything Master-shaped that I can punch?"

"Not here," Jack shook his head. "This is just some kind of holographic representation of the universe, as far as I can tell…see, there's our solar system, and there's the Scarlet Junction …"

"Wow." Ace pushed him into the room so she could see better. "And look – are those ships?" She pointed at small dots that were moving around, within galaxies and across them.

"Looks like it," Jack nodded, moving around the room to peer at a tiny planet in the Milky Way. "Look, it's Earth." He tried to guess the time period from the readout that appeared when his finger got close to the little blob of projected light.

"Jack," Ace said, in a horribly scared voice. "Jack, where are we, do you think?"

"Here," Jack said after a moment, pointing at a small reddish planet in a central solar system. "See, I can zoom in…" He did something that Ace couldn't see, and a moment later the planet had become larger. "There, this is intergalactic standard – this TARDIS is here." He grinned a moment later. "And look – so is the Doctor's!"

"Right," Ace nodded. "Go back to the way it was before?" Jack did so, and Ace moved to stand closer. "Look. There, that fleet of ships. Are they what I think they are?"

Jack zoomed in on the fleet, and his grin completely disappeared. "But they were destroyed. All of them, Rose destroyed them – wiped them out!"

"How could –"

"But Rose brought back Gallifrey," Jack muttered, ignoring the woman. "What if she didn't bring it back so much as reverse time? What if…"

"What if the Dalek fleet still exists," Ace finished quietly. She didn't really have a clue about what Jack was on about, but she'd got the gist. "And they're coming here."

"We've got to find some way to warn the Doctor," Jack said grimly. "He needs to know about this."

"But we can't leave Rose and the others here alone," Ace pointed out. "The Master wouldn't think twice about killing them."

"So we split up," Jack said. "The TARDIS shouldn't be that far away, it shouldn't take more than a couple of hours –"

"We've spent the last hour stumbling around this ship!" Ace retorted. "We don't know where the others are, and we don't know what's happening to Rose!"

"Which is why one of us should stay here," Jack said firmly. "Look, if you hurry, you can get to the TARDIS and tell the Doctor what's happening, and I can stay here and keep trying to find Rose and the Master."

"And then what?" Ace asked sensibly. "The Master's a Time Lord – you can't just take him out by yourself." The two glared at each other, each certain that they were right.

"We need to work out how long it'll take that fleet to get here," Jack said at last. "Then we can decide on our options."

"We need to find out what's going on with Rose, as well," Ace pointed out. "If she's in danger -"

"She isn't," Jack interrupted, a fierce note in his voice. Ace stepped back, almost afraid of the expression on his face. "She isn't," he repeated, softer this time. "She can't be. She's Rose." He managed a smile. "The Doctor'll destroy this ship with his bare hands if anything happens to her."

Ace frowned. "But I thought you and she – "

"No." Jack glanced around, automatically checking to see if they were alone. "No. She and the Doctor are married – it's his baby." Ace stared. "We thought it would be better if the Master didn't know," he continued. "And he assumed that I was the father. It was just safer."

"But – Rose is human," Ace murmured. "The Doctor never –"

"So I've been told," Jack nodded. "I spent some time on Gallifrey, I know what the Time Lords are like. But Rose is different. The Doctor is different, and I don't just mean that he's regenerated. He's lived through a lot."

"Well, yeah," Ace said blankly. "He's hundreds of years old."

"This was different."

Ace stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "Right," she said. "Let's find Rose."

* * *

"I am not ready to have this baby," Rose screeched, ignoring Jo's attempts to soothe her. "It's too soon – I'm not ready to be a mother!" She had, some time before, started walking around the room with the other woman's support. Now she paused by the bed, sipping from the cup they'd found in a cupboard.

"The baby doesn't think so," Jo said, trying to help. "Babies come when they're ready, Rose." She shot a glare at the Master, who had been complaining a moment before. "And they come as slowly as they like," she added tartly.

"God, I take back everything bad I ever said to my mum," Rose managed through clenched teeth, moving again. "This – bloody – hurts!" She leaned against a wall as another contraction approached.

"You don't know what pain is," the Master said dismissively.

Rose growled and launched herself at him; Nyssa and Jo held her back. "You bastard! You don't know anything! When you've given birth, then we can talk about pain! When you've looked into the Vortex, then –" She cut herself off, more because it was too hard to talk than because she didn't want the Master knowing about that. She braced herself and cried out with the next contraction.

"The Vortex – the Time Vortex?" the Master demanded urgently, moving towards her, ignoring the glares sent to him by both Nyssa and Jo. "What are you talking about, girl?"

Rose let out a wail. Her head dropped, her face curtained by her hair. When she looked up again, golden light shone from her eyes.

"Where is he?" she asked, her voice somehow altered. "My Doctor. Where is he?" She pulled away from the supporting arms of the other women. She seemed almost surprised at the way she was balanced, and her hands went to touch her stomach wonderingly. Golden energy seemed to shimmer under her fingers. "This is not supposed to be yet," she said with eerie certainty. She looked around, looking at the occupants of the room. "Healer," she murmured of Nyssa. "Daughter of Traken." She moved towards the Master, who seemed unable to move. "You…Lord of Time…where is my Doctor?"

"Your Doctor?" he managed.

"He is mine," Rose said serenely. "My Doctor. Where is he?" Another contraction caused her to almost double over, but she didn't cry out this time. "He must be here. This is not right."

"What are you?" the Master demanded, pulling himself together. "I demand you answer me!"

"I am the Bad Wolf." Powerful, awesome, Rose and Bad Wolf combined seemed to draw all energy in the room towards her. "I create life and I take it. I am more than everything and less than nothing. Where is my Doctor?" She was growing angry now; the energy and feeling that was Bad Wolf didn't seem able to cope without the Doctor there to temper it, to help contain it.

"Bad Wolf," Nyssa murmured. "What is Bad Wolf?"

"Rose, sit down," Jo urged. "The contractions are so close – the baby will be coming soon!"

"The children," Bad Wolf said, her voice whispering around the room. "My children. They must have their father as I did not." She waved her hand, and the door slid open. Helpless to do anything but follow, the Master and the two former companions of the Doctor followed this strange being as she walked – no, almost floated – down the corridors of the Master's TARDIS. Doors were flung open before her, light flooded her path. Before long she had reached the control room, and then she was outside the TARDIS.

Here she faltered, and looked around momentarily as if lost.

"Rose, what's happening?" Nyssa demanded. "What's going on?"

"I must find him," Rose whispered, and this time she did moan with another contraction. "They will be here soon. He must be here!" She scanned the horizon. "Doctor. My Doctor. He is there." She pointed across the hot planet at a speck of blue. A moment later the speck disappeared, and all four heard the wheezing sound of a TARDIS materialising.

"My Doctor," Bad Wolf said, and fell to her knees. "My family," she whispered.

The door to the Doctor's TARDIS opened; the Doctor strode out, taking in everything in one glance. Disregarding the Master, he dropped to the ground next to Rose.

"Rose, you control it," he said strongly. "Bad Wolf is you, not the other way around. Come on now, Rose, don't you want to be here for our baby?"

She looked at him, the Bad Wolf and Rose, and she cried.

"You're here," she said.

"Yes, I'm here, love," the Doctor murmured. "Rose, let's get you inside. Don't want to be giving birth in the sand."

"You have to be there," Rose said pleadingly, golden energy fading. "Please, Theta, I can't do this!"

"Yes you can," he assured her. "My strong, brave Rose." He glanced up at the other three, nodding briefly to his former companions before turning darkened eyes on the Master.

"No," Rose said, clenching his hand tightly. "No, he's – argh – " she cut herself off. "I want these things out of me!" she cried.

"Into the TARDIS," the Doctor said, and lifted her easily in his arms. "All of you." He didn't give the Master a chance to object, he forced them all into the TARDIS and kicked the door shut behind him.

* * *

To be continued. 


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Domestic Travels

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise from 'Doctor Who' episodes, books, or general canon, is not mine. Izzy, Tim, Rose's extended family and the storyline are mine, however.

Notes: Sequel to 'Domestic Battleground' and 'Domestic Space'. I highly recommend reading at least the latter, because otherwise a lot of this won't make any sense. This is the third instalment in the larger 'Domestic' universe.

Notes 2: Gallifrey is back, through means unknown to any except Bad Wolf. Old friends have appeared, and more will come, as time and space are woven into knots by Bad Wolf. Something is very wrong with the fabric of the universe, and the Doctor is torn between protecting his wife and unborn child, and saving Gallifrey. Things are going to get a lot more complicated. He never really planned for domestic.

* * *

Chapter Eight

* * *

The room was silent, all eyes focused on the couple at the bed. Rose, laying down, a baby held close to her. The Doctor, sat on the bed, holding another baby, gazing at it in wonder. 

Susan stood near the door, careful not to get too close to either her future mother or her future uncle. Nyssa washed her hands at the sink in the corner, watching the family with a smile. The other former companions had crowded into the infirmary, eager to see the Doctor and to ensure Rose was alright. The Master stood to one side, watched over by Ian.

"Twins," the Doctor murmured. "It was twins." He glanced up at Rose, a strange expression on his face. "We have children."

Rose smiled tiredly at him. "Yeah," she said. "That alright?"

"Yeah," came the immediate answer. "Wow. He's so tiny." He touched the baby's toes gently. "Oh, my little boy," he said softly, not quite cooing but almost. Rose hid a smile, and shifted her daughter slightly as she started whimpering. The Doctor looked up immediately, concern written across his face. "She alright?" he wanted to know.

"She's just hungry," Nyssa said authoritatively, approaching the bed. "Are you going to breastfeed them, Rose?" The new mother nodded her head. "Alright then." She glanced over at the others. "Would you mind leaving?" she offered to them. "You can wait in the outer room."

"Of course," Sarah murmured. "We'll…we'll keep an eye on the Master." The Time Lord in question snorted, but the majority of his attention remained focused on Rose and her two babies.

"Come on," Tegan said curtly, glaring at him. "Move it."

The room slowly emptied, and Rose peeled away the robe she'd been dressed in by Nyssa.

"She'll instinctively want to suck," Nyssa instructed her quietly. "Just bring her to your breast." Rose adjusted herself, placing her nipple next to the baby's mouth. The child's mouth opened, and a moment later Rose gave a sharp gasp.

"What's the matter?" the Doctor demanded quickly, shifting slightly on the bed so that he was facing her more. "Rose?"

"Just…sort of hurts a bit. Like an ache," Rose managed after a moment. "S'that right?" she asked of Nyssa.

"Yes, it's perfectly normal," Nyssa nodded. "I'll leave you two alone for a bit – I'll be outside with the others." She departed, and Rose stretched out a hand to the Doctor.

"I love you," she said softly.

"I love you," he answered her, watching as she fed his daughter. "I was so worried," he confessed.

"I'm fine," she assured him, resting her head on the piles of pillows behind her. "I was a bit stupid, but…"

"Yeah." The Doctor's expression changed suddenly. "Accessing the power of Bad Wolf when you were alone and pregnant – "

"I've done it before," Rose cut across him. "When I was with Alistair and Doris, I had to use Bad Wolf." She stroked her daughter's arm. "I had to - I had to have you with me," she said helplessly. "And the Master was asking all these questions, and saying stuff…"

"What kind of stuff?" he wanted to know.

"He said Bad Wolf was a legend," she answered after a moment. "In all sorts of places. What did he mean, Doctor?" The baby in her arms released her breast, and she gave a slight grimace. "I mean, I know what Bad Wolf is, I know what I am – but what does that have to do with legends or whatever?"

The Doctor exhaled slowly. "Rose…"

"Theta, please," Rose entreated. "I need to know the truth. I thought I did, but…"

He looked down at his son as he answered, needing to avoid her eyes. "Bad Wolf…there are legends in...thousands of worlds about the Bad Wolf. There's similarities in a lot of them. Several different themes to the myth – like the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, they're told from different points of view."

"That's the one where he took her down to the underworld, right?" Rose said, struggling to remember. "And she ate something that meant she had to stay there…"

"That's right." The baby in his arms started to wail, and with a little difficulty the couple swapped children so Rose could feed their son.

"So there's myths about me," Rose murmured. "Good ones and bad ones."

"Destroyer, creator, mother, child, lover, sinner, saint," the Doctor said lightly. "I've got books…"

"So you knew about Bad Wolf before I became it?" Rose asked, voice dangerously calm.

"I didn't know it was you," he said quickly. "I had no idea until it was you until it actually happened. And my people…we were always discouraged from finding out about Bad Wolf. Not many of them knew about it, really. Romana knows a little. The Master…we were at school together, and we read about Bad Wolf by ourselves. So he probably knows as much as I did."

"Did?"

He gave her a genuine smile. "Yeah. I know a lot more about you now, my Rose. My Bad Wolf." She glanced away shyly. He changed the subject abruptly. "So. What're we gonna call them?"

Rose made a face. "God, I have absolutely no idea. I was thinking Jack, but then –" She stopped suddenly, eyes wide. "Where's Jack? And Ace, they're not in here are they?"

The Doctor's eyebrows rose and then fell.

"Ah," he said.

* * *

Jack stood in the control room of the Master's TARDIS, frowning down at the screen before him. 

"This doesn't make sense," he announced, more because he wanted to say it than because Ace was listening to him. She wasn't; she was investigating the wiring behind a roundel. "Ace," Jack said after a moment, trying to distract her so that she didn't fry the console by accident. "According to this, we're the only life forms on the ship."

"But that's impossible," Ace pointed out, putting the roundel back and fixing it into place with a thump from her clenched fist. "Even if the Master had left, the others would still be here. He was drugging us – he couldn't have got them all out like that."

"Exactly," Jack nodded. "It doesn't make sense." He switched the scanner to external, and raised his eyebrows. "Huh. The Doctor's TARDIS is there."

"It is?" Ace joined him and peered over his shoulder at the screen. "He still hasn't got the chameleon circuit fixed yet, then?"

"I don't think he wants to," Jack murmured. Ace shrugged. "So the question is…where's the Master?"

"If I know the Doctor, he's already got the Master tied up in knots," Ace said decisively. "Come on."

"Ace, wait –" Jack called out, but Ace had already opened the door and was leaving the Master's TARDIS. "He doesn't half pick them," the man muttered, following suit. "Ace, wait! We don't know –"

"Hello, Jack," the Doctor greeted cheerfully, standing at the door of his TARDIS. "How's things?" He grinned, and then switched his attention to Ace. "Ace, you're looking great." His grin grew even wider.

"Do you have Rose? Is she alright?" Jack demanded swiftly.

"Oh, she's fine," the Doctor said dismissively. "Tired, of course, but it was a tough birth." He shook his head, feigning confusion. "Dunno how we missed that it was twins…"

Jack stared, mouth open and eyes wide. "Twins – she's given birth? It was twins?"

"Yep," the Doctor nodded smugly. "Girl and a boy, both a little underweight but otherwise healthy."

"That's fantastic," Ace said, smiling broadly. "And Rose is okay?"

"She's fine," the Doctor nodded. "Jack? You alright there?"

Jack finally managed to speak. "You – she – I'm an uncle!"

"Twice over," Ace put in. "You gonna stand there like an idiot, or are you gonna go and see them?" Jack didn't need telling twice – he hurtled past the Doctor, almost knocking him over, and disappeared inside the police box. Ace's smile faded a little, and she looked the Doctor over. "Interesting," she commented. "You told me about regeneration, of course, but…"

"It's not as if I can choose what I'm going to look like," he retorted. "You coming in, then?" He held the door open for her, and then closed it behind her. "And don't say it – everyone's said it."

"You've redecorated," Ace said cheekily, ignoring his long-suffering sigh. "It's very different." She moved across the control room to greet some of the other companions who were milling around. The Doctor, with a fond shake of his head, returned to the medical bay.

He found Jack and Rose both cooing over the children. Jack had the little boy, and Rose had her daughter.

"We've really got to name them," he announced his presence. Rose smiled up at him. "Well, we do. We can't just go around calling them 'boy' and 'girl'. It's not healthy for them. They need names."

"Well, like I said, I was thinking about Jack…" Rose trailed off as Jack looked at her, clearly unsure whether to be pleased or appalled. "But then that would get confusing," she finished. "Plus you don't need any more ego!"

"It's a lovely thought," Jack said. "But you're right, it could get very confusing." He stroked his finger down the baby's nose. "What about Pete?" he suggested.

The Doctor tilted his head, watching Rose. "S'a good name," he allowed. But Rose shook her head.

"No, I couldn't," she said. "I'd never be able to say it without…anyway." She smiled down at her daughter. "That doesn't help this little angel."

Then she froze for a moment, staring at something beyond the physical. She bit her lip, and moved to lay her child in the crib next to the bed, and then she looked at her husband.

"I think there's something wrong," she said quietly. "You need to check the scanner." The Doctor frowned at her. "There's something wrong," she repeated. "Please." She reached to take her son from Jack.

"Oh god," Jack muttered. "How could I have forgotten? I just assumed Ace would tell you…"

"Tell me what?" the Doctor demanded sharply. "What's going on?"

"There's a fleet of ships heading here," Jack explained. "Dalek ships." The muscles in the Doctor's jaw tightened. Rose made a noise and held her baby close to her. "Hundreds of them."

"And you just…forgot to tell me this?" the Doctor asked, cold fury lacing his words. "Jack –"

"I must have brought them back," Rose said quietly. "When I brought back Gallifrey…what if I turned back time, instead of reopening Gallifrey's possibilities?"

Jack nodded. "That's what I figured," he said, not entirely without sympathy. "It would explain a lot."

"But we ran tests, projections," the Doctor murmured. "Romana and me…if we didn't pick it up, then how…" He looked straight at Rose. "We've got to go back to Gallifrey," he said decisively. "We can work from there."

"What about everyone else?" she wanted to know. "Sarah, and Nyssa, and everyone?"

"We can't just drop them back where they were," Jack nodded. "They deserve more than that."

"I've a feeling we won't have to worry about them," the Doctor said slowly. "It's a bit complicated, but…" He shook himself. "Anyway, before anything else happens, I want to have a chat to the Master."

"Don't hurt him," Rose cautioned. "He didn't really hurt me, or any of the others."

"That's beside the point," the Doctor said, folding his arms. "Messing about with time? He knows better, or he ought to." His expression turned sulky for a moment. "Did better than I did, in the academy."

Rose laughed. "Oh, you're not jealous, are you?"

"No," he said quickly. "Right, you stay here, and I'll –"

"Oh, no," she interrupted him. "You're not going anywhere without me." She motioned for Jack to pick up her daughter. "C'mon. If you're going to talk to the Master, I'm going to be there."

* * *

"Is there anything you will allow me to say in my defence?" the Master inquired the moment the Doctor entered the small room that had become a temporary cell. 

"Not likely," the Doctor snapped, and held the door open for Rose and Jack, each carrying a baby. He took note of the fact that the Master flinched back slightly at the sight of Rose. "Right. Let's get the obvious out of the way first."

"Yes, let's," the Master drawled. "What…delightful children, my dear Doctor."

"Thanks," the Doctor returned, refusing to be perturbed by his old school-mate. "I'm ecstatic. We're thinking of calling them Rassilon and Omega." His companions both choked back laughter. The Master raised one eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Not that it's any of your business."

"No," the Master conceded, tilting his head slightly. "But there is something that is." His gaze moved to Rose again.

"Don't you look at her," the Doctor ordered, voice low and fierce.

"It's alright, Doctor," Rose said absently. "I don't care."

"I do," the Doctor snapped, as did Jack. They exchanged grimly amused looks, and then the Doctor turned back to the Master. "Why did you take all of them? What could you possibly hope to gain?"

"Your attention," the Master said silkily. "What else? I hoped to lure you into a trap."

"Liar," Rose said flatly. "You want something else. If it was just the Doctor you wanted, you wouldn't have got all the companions from all over. The other Doctors'll be turning up now, and you know it."

"They don't know I took the Doctor's pathetic crowd," the Master sneered. "How could they?"

"Because I know," Rose shrugged one shoulder, careful not to displace the baby. "And I'm Bad Wolf."

Once again the Master flinched, and this time the Doctor spoke up.

"What have you heard?" he asked. "Why are you so afraid?"

"And you're not?" the Master demanded in return. "You know the myths as well as I do."

"Better," the Doctor said calmly. "Since I've seen the creation of Bad Wolf." The two Time Lords looked at each other for a long moment, and then the Doctor looked to Rose. "I don't think you know what Bad Wolf is," he said, still speaking to the Master. "You have no idea."

"I know enough to know it's dangerous!"

"I'm dangerous?" Rose said, laughing. "Oh, that's a laugh." She pressed a kiss to her son's head. "Most dangerous thing I ever did was take him near my mum," she continued, jerking her head towards her alien husband. "I'm not dangerous."

"You've been the destruction of a hundred worlds," the Master pointed out, folding his arms. "How can I say anything but?" A muscle twitched in the Doctor's jaw.

"She hasn't done that," he said. "Not yet – not ever. And you can't exactly talk."

"Perhaps not," the Master accepted, inclining his head. "As I said, you will not allow me to say anything in my defence."

"I've heard it all before," the Doctor muttered. "Centuries ago." He took his daughter from Jack's arms. "This is the present. This is my present. And you think I care for your petty schemes?"

"No." The Master looked away momentarily. "But you cannot blame me for being true to my nature."

"This isn't your nature," Rose said quietly. "You're a Gallifreyan. A Time Lord. If I know anything, it's that none of you are naturally inclined to hurting others. What did the Doctor ever do to you? Is it just that you were at school together? You're both hundreds of years old, grow up a bit."

"Oh, if only it were that simple," Jack put in, concealing a smile with difficulty. "I'm sensing some unresolved sexual tension…"

"No!" resounded through the room from both the Doctor and the Master. They bore twin expressions of horror on their faces.

"But could you picture the Castellan's face, if we ever did?" the Doctor added reflectively after a moment.

* * *

"I should go and check on the others," Susan murmured, leaning against the wall. Her eyes didn't move from Jack. "Some of them…they're quite confused." 

"Yeah, I guess they are," Jack nodded. He sat on the armchair, leaning forwards and resting his elbows on his knees. "I think they're alright though."

"Still, I should…" Susan trailed off. She wrapped her arms around herself. "Are…are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he assured her. "The Master didn't do anything to us."

"He shot you," she reminded him, stepping closer. He touched his stomach and shrugged.

"Stunned me," he corrected. "Wasn't out for long. No permanent damage, just one heck of a bruise. It'll heal in no time." She still looked worried, so he offered her a smile. "Promise," he added. "C'mon, you know me – I'm indestructible."

"You're human," she retorted, "and fragile. That's the first thing my grandfather taught me when we arrived on Earth – and it's true! I saw friends die, killed by the Daleks, and then you –" Her breath caught in her throat.

Alarmed, Jack rose and crossed the room. "Susan, what? What's wrong?" He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. "C'mon, tell me."

"I was scared," she whispered after a moment. "I was so scared. He had Grandma, and you, and – and Grandfather was so worried, I've never seen him like that before, he didn't know what to do, and all I could think was –"

Jack cut her off, dipping his head and pressing his mouth to hers. She froze for a moment, then her eyes closed and she leaned into him. Her hands rested on his shoulders, his on her waist. Her lips parted, his tongue slipped into her mouth.

Then:

"What the hell is going on here?"

Jack and Susan separated at once. Susan's fingers went to touch her lips; Jack shoved his hands in his pockets as they faced the Doctor.

"Hi," Jack said, offering a tentative smile. "Rose asleep?"

"What were you doing to my grand-daughter?" the Doctor demanded coldly, advancing on Jack. The human took a step backwards, then another. He tried, but as ever it was hard not to be intimidated by the Doctor.

"The main difference in that is 'with'," he said quickly. "It's what I was doing 'with' your grand-daughter…and that isn't helping, is it?" The Doctor opened his mouth, about to start on a rant of epic proportions, when Susan stepped between them.

"Stop it," she snapped. "Stop it!"

Startled, he closed his mouth.

"I know everything you're going to say," she said in a low voice. "But it's my choice. Just like it was your choice to love Rose, and you can't say nothing good's come of that. If you and Rose weren't married, weren't together, I would never have been born, and your entire existence would have been different. Who's to say that Jack and I can't – can't be together?" She paused. "Unless you don't trust Jack?" she suggested.

"I trust Jack with my life," the Doctor said, gaze moving from Susan to Jack and then back again. "But I cared for you when you were a child. It might have been centuries ago for me, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten. And don't you think this family's confusing enough without adding Jack to the mix?"

"He's already part of the family," Susan retorted. "And you know it!"

"Doctor? What's going on?"

The Doctor turned to see Sarah Jane in the doorway, eyebrows raised.

"Turlough sent me to tell you that the Dalek fleet will be here in three standard hours," she continued when no-one said anything. "And the Scottish man – Jamie? He's getting rather upset."

The Doctor sent a glare at Susan and Jack. "This isn't over," he warned them before leaving the room, Sarah trailing after him.

"I'm sorry," Jack offered after a long, silent moment.

"Don't be," Susan said quietly. "We should talk to Rose – she could probably help us with Grandfather."

"Susan, what –"

She turned, a strange expression on her face. "Jack, don't. Don't say anything." She stepped towards him and pressed a chaste kiss to his mouth. "I've got to go and help Grandfather. We'll talk later."

* * *

To be continued. 

There'll be one more chapter to this, just to warn you, and then the next installment will start. I'm not making any promises with regards to updating - my ME's quite bad at the moment, and I'm spending too much of my time asleep to do much writing! As always, thanks gor your reviews - they mean a lot to me.


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